Kage no Mahou
by Gemini14
Summary: The Ocarina of Time: Only with a whole new twist! Now Link and Navi are joined in their adventures by the mischievous and ever complaining Kage and his sassy sprite Mizuu. Together, these two will destroy the evil Ganondorf has released and save Hyrule!


Kage no Mahou: A Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time AU Fanfic

Chapter One: The Adventure of a Lifetime

"Kage! Kage where are you?! Ooh! You know that Mido's gonna kick your butt when he finds out that his favorite tunic is gone! KAGE!" Mizuu, a guardian sprite, shouted, her small voice echoing in the vastness of the Kokiri Forest.

"Ne, Mizuu! Up here!" a boy's voice shouted from overhead. The sprite looked up, finding her dark skinned charge in the branches of a hazelnut tree. 

"What're you doing up there?!" Mizuu shouted, as she flew up and hovered before the boy's face. 

"What do you think? I'm trying to stay away from Mido and wait for Link at the same time." Kage replied, his crimson eyes twinkling in the half-light of the forest.

"Huh? You mean that Kokiri without a sprite? The one Mido treats like an outcast?" Mizuu asked, as she landed on Kage's hatless head, casting an orange-ish glow onto his head.

"Yup. The very same. You see, he and I have been having some weird dreams here lately. Some of his are downright scary. He keeps telling me of this evil presence that wants to take over the world, and how he feels the call of destiny to fight back and save our world. I've been feeling the same call too, but the Deku Tree said that there can only be one Hero of Time, but he also said that there is a place in this destiny for me too. What do you think of that, Mizuu?" Kage mused, as the sprite settled onto his shoulder.

"It sounds like we've got something big on our hands, Kage. Maybe, after you find out what's going on, you will know where you fit in." Mizuu said, as Link and an unfamiliar sprite entered the clearing.

"Hello, Link!" Kage greeted, cheerfully.

"Hello and well met, Kage! Are you ready to leave?" Link asked, huffing and puffing from running from one end of the forest to the other with swords and shields on his back.

"I sure am! To get away from Mido is like a dream come true! The guy doesn't have anything better to do than make us both feel like we're lower than dirt." Kage said, as he took one of each of the swords and shields and slung them onto his back. 

"Who's the new sprite?" Mizuu asked, as she floated around and up to the new sprite.

"This is Navi, my guardian sprite. The Deku Tree assigned her to me. We should go ahead and leave, so we can make some headway before it gets dark." Link said, thinking about what the Deku Tree had told him with his dying breath.

With that said, the two boys and their fairies set off, leaving the safety and security of the Kokiri Forest for the vast unknown that was the land of Hyrule. When they got to the bridge, Saria, Sage of the Forest, was waiting for them. 

"It is hard to believe that you are both leaving. Fate has chosen a strange set of friends for this adventure. The last of the shadow elves and the Kokiri that had no sprite. But I have faith in you. Here, take these, you will need them." Saria said, as she handed them some ocarinas. 

"Why would we need these, Saria?" Link asked, as he tucked the ocarina into his tunic. Kage did the same.

"Those ocarinas are important. Link, I have given you the Fairy Ocarina, and Kage has just received the Mystic Ocarina. Be careful and good luck to you both." Saria said, as she started to leave. 

"Goodbye, Saria. Don't forget us!" Kage called, waving at the departing Kokiri. Saria paused, turned around and grinned.

"How could I forget you? You're the only one that had the guts to steal two of Mido's favorite tunics! I could never forget you, Kage! Nor you, Link!" Saria said, with a laugh, as she disappeared back into the forest, leaving the two boys alone. For a moment, the two Kokiri stood alone, not knowing what to do next. Then Navi spoke up.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Navi said, as she flew forward. Getting the message, Link and Kage ran after her, with Mizuu lingering behind for a moment to look back at the forest she had spent her entire life in, until then. Then she turned around and flew after the two boys, who were now entering a world they had never seen before. Link was amazed by the immensity of a sky unmarred by trees. Kage blinked a couple of times in order to get his eyes to adjust to being in total sunlight. Link had never seen anything like this before! Land that was devoid of trees stretched for miles around them. 

"Where do we go now, Link?" Kage asked, when his eyes had adjusted.

"As far as I know, we head to the castle first. But I don't know which way the castle is!" Link said, as he sighed and sat down, to think for a moment before moving.

"Let's try going north. Maybe we'll get somewhere that could lead us to the castle." Mizuu suggested. Link nodded.

"At least we have a suggestion on which way to go." Kage said, as he started walking in that direction, with Link following not too far behind. Soon the two pint sized travelers and their fairies found themselves near an extensive horse ranch. 

"Wow! Look at all the horses!" Kage exclaimed, when one mare affectionately licked his face.

"Got licked by a horse!" Link laughed, getting a dirty look from the dark skinned Kokiri.

"What're you two kids doin' hangin' around here?!" a man's voice demanded, causing the two startled Kokiri to do an abrupt about face. 

"We didn't hurt anything! Honest we didn't!" Kage yelped, instantly wishing that he hadn't left the Kokiri Forest.

"Oh, Uncle Ingo! Stop scaring those two! Can't you see that they are far from home?" a girl's voice asked, as she came between the bow-legged man and the two frightened Kokiri (well, it takes a lot to scare Link, but Kage, on the other hand, was thinking about what to write in his will). The man called Ingo scowled at the two boys then stalked off, grumbling something under his breath about the mismanagement of the ranch.

"Don't worry about him, he's always been like that. My name's Malon, what's yours?" the girl asked, as the two boys calmed down.

"My name's Link, and this is my friend Kage. The two fairies' names are Navi and Mizuu. Sorry if we trespassed or anything." Link replied, feeling sort of sheepish about the whole thing.

"That's all right! My Uncle Ingo is always complaining about doing all the work around here and how he should be the one to own the ranch. Would you like to see the ranch?" Malon offered, apparently very pleased at having some guests that were her own age.

"Thanks but no thanks. Do you know which way the castle is?" Kage asked, politely refusing her offer.

"Yeah! The castle is due north! Just keep going in a straight line, you'll reach it eventually!" Malon said, brightly, with a smile, unfazed by the boys' inability to stay for a while.

"Many thanks." Link said, grateful for the girl's help.

"No problem! Come back anytime!" Malon said, with another brilliant smile, then walked off, humming to herself all the while.

"That girl seems to have had an eye for you, Kage." Mizuu said, with a smile in her voice.

"Eww." Kage said, making a face and shuddering with revulsion. Mizuu merely giggled at his reaction. They continued on their way, ever mindful of the enigmatic dreams they had been having and the possibility of having some adventures. When they stopped for the night, they could see that the castle was just within sight.

"We'll make a fresh start in the morning. It's too late to do any more traveling right now." Link said, as the sky turned from blue to many shades of red, purple and gold. 

"Sounds fine to me." Kage said, yawning and flopping onto the soft grass that was characteristic of the country they now traveled in. Soon, both boys were sound asleep, both exhausted by the distance they had traveled in that one day. Mizuu sighed. So much was expected of the two boys, yet, given that, they were still only children. Destiny had given them some big shoes to fill. Were they really up to the challenge?

"They sure look sweet when they sleep, don't they?" Navi asked, as she floated beside Mizuu.

"Yes, they do. They look so innocent. You would almost forget that they can be regular terrors during the day." Mizuu said, with an almost motherly laugh. Navi chuckled.

"Almost." Navi agreed, as Link turned over, mumbling something under his breath as he did so. 

"Do you really believe that Link is the legendary Hero of Time and that Kage is squared away to also be a hero of some kind?" Mizuu asked.

"I think Link has what it takes to be the Hero of Time, but Kage needs some work. He was too easily frightened by that Ingo guy back there." Navi replied.

"You can't really blame Kage, though. This is his and Link's first time away from home, so naturally one of them is going to be a little more jumpy than the other. I think Kage will eventually overcome his fear and become as brave as Link." Mizuu said, determinedly. 

Link awoke in a cold sweat. He'd had the same nightmare again, but, this time, the images were much more clear. A few moments later, Kage also awoke, trembling and shaking all over.

"You saw too, then?" Link asked. Kage nodded. They both shivered as a chill wind blew around them. Link looked up and tried to guess what time it was by the moon and stars. From what he could tell, it had to be around four or five in the morning. 

"We might as well get up. We're not going to get any more sleep tonight." Link said, as he got up and stretched. Kage nodded, and also stood up. Navi and Mizuu, who had been watching over the two boys the whole time that they had been asleep, followed closely after them. Just when the sun had started to peek over the mountains, Link, Kage, Mizuu and Navi arrived in a town. This town, affectionately called 'Hyrule Castletown' by its inhabitants, was bustling with activity and no one noticed when two young boys and their guardian fairies walked into the marketplace, their young eyes wide with wonder and awe. There were so many people! 

"Link! Link!!! Pay attention! Keep your focus on what we came here for!" Navi shouted, going right up against Link's ear to be sure that he had heard her.

"Yeowch! All right, all right, Navi! Sheesh! You don't have to yell in my ear! I'm not deaf!" Link said, impatiently.

"But you might be now." Kage said, getting a playful shove from his friend. Navi and Mizuu both shook their heads as they watched the two boys cut up and carry on.

"But they are, after all, only kids." Navi said, reiterating what Mizuu had said earlier about the two would be heroes.

"That's the truth." Mizuu agreed, as Link and Kage got involved in a quick game with some of the local children, letting some of their earlier tensions go. Afterwards it was straight to business.

"How are we s'posed to get past those guards? There's gotta be at least ten or twenty of 'em at the front gate alone!" Kage whispered, nervously eyeing the guards that stood between them and the inside of the castle.

"We could try scaling the walls. We have the equipment now." Link suggested, as he got a good look at the castle wall that they were crouched near.

"Or someone could provide us with a distraction so we can slip in through the gate. Hmmm." Kage said, glancing at the fairies with a look of sly cunning in his ruby eyes.

"Oh no, don't even consider it! We're not going to do it! You can forget that!" Navi said, knowing exactly what was going to happen because Link now had that mischievous look in his eyes. Moments later, Navi and Mizuu were sent over to the guards that stood at the gate.

"I can't believe they actually talked us into this." Navi grumbled. Mizuu shrugged.

"I'm sorta used to this sort of thing from Kage." Mizuu said, as they stopped in front of a guard's nose. Then the insults began.

"Your nose hairs need trimming!" Mizuu shouted, getting an abrupt 'huh?!' from the guard.

"You guys are so fat that you need to have extra pieces of metal welded on to your armor in order to have them fit!" Navi accompanied.

"You really need to take a 'knight' class on weight loss, buddy!" Mizuu cried, laughing as one man swatted at her. 

"I'll bet you guys are real 'mama's boys' aren't you?" Navi asked. That cut it. The leader of the guards that had been on duty suddenly let out an angry bellow and the whole group started chasing the two fairies. Snickering and laughing, Kage and Link dashed through the gate, knowing that the guards would return at any moment. They quickly sobered up when they reached the inner courtyard, becoming aware that another group of guards was coming their way. 

"You down there!" a girl's voice called from overhead.

"Huh?!" Link and Kage asked, in unison.

"Up here!" the voice called again. The two boys looked up. On a balcony above them stood a girl that was about their age. Kage looked nervously at the guards that were getting closer to their location.

"Do you have a hookshot?" the girl asked, keeping her voice as low as possible so she wouldn't get the boys into trouble. 

"Yes! We do! Two of them, as a matter of fact." Link replied, beginning to look a little concerned that the guards were getting closer to where he and Kage were standing. 

"Then use them to climb up! Be careful, though, the guards are almost here." The girl said, watching the guards with worry in her eyes. 

"Okay, step back." Kage said, as he and Link made ready to use their hookshots. The girl did as she was told and watched as the grappling hooks of the hookshots grabbed onto the stonework of the balcony's ledge and held her breath when the two boys started climbing. Thankfully enough, the guards didn't even bother to look up and the girl breathed an inward sigh of relief. When they were safely on solid ground again, the girl took a good look at the two boys. They were as different as night and day. One had dark skin and dark hair, with ruby colored eyes and the other had fair skin and blond hair, with dark blue eyes that reminded her of sapphires.

"You two sure are brave. What are your names?" the girl asked, as the two boys stood tensely before her. 

"My name is Link, and this is my friend Kage. We came here because some dreams led us here." Link said, not really expecting the girl to believe him.

"Oh, really? What kind of dreams?" the girl asked, her curiosity piqued.

"They couldn't be called dreams, really. The more appropriate name for them would be nightmares. Every night we see the same thing; an evil presence taking over Hyrule, the people dying because of that, and then the world itself being enveloped in a darkness that is darker than a moonless night." Kage said, shuddering at the memories of the nightmare. 

"I see. So you are the ones." The girl said, her expression turning grim.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Kage asked. The girl looked at them both directly.

"You do not yet realize who I am. I am Princess Zelda, heir apparent to the throne of Hyrule. You two both have a tremendous destiny to fulfill. Link, you have been chosen to become the Hero of Time. Kage, your destiny is to become the Hero of Memories. Will you fulfill your destiny and help us fight against Ganondorf, the evil that threatens us?" the girl asked. At first, the two boys were too stunned to speak, but then they looked at one another, shared a look of determination, looked back at her, and nodded.

"We may not be much to look at right now, but we sure will try our best." Kage said, with one of his reassuring smiles. Zelda let out a sigh of relief and smiled at the two boys. She now had faith in these two ragamuffins that had come from the depths of the Lost Woods. 

"Now, take this letter. I will have Impa escort you outside the castle. I bid you good luck in the days to come." Zelda said, as she pulled on a bell pull, thus summoning Impa to her side. Moments later, a tall woman wearing black leather appeared. Kage shrank back away from her, vague memories from before he'd come to live with the Kokiri coming back to haunt him. He remembered that people in black leather had attacked his village while the inhabitants slept, killing all but him. He'd run into the forest, eventually ending up in the Kokiri Village.

"What's wrong, Kage?" Link asked, noticing the innate look of fear on his friend's face. Kage didn't answer him, but Link could tell that the appearance of the woman had triggered some kind of horrible memory inside of him. He had never seen that kind of look on Kage's face before.

"You called Princess?" Impa asked, before becoming aware of the youths before her.

"Yes. I would like for you to escort them back outside please." Zelda said, oblivious to the fear that was on Kage's face. 

"As you wish. Step this way please." Impa said, softly. Even though she didn't pose a threat to him, Kage kept his guard up. The three walked in silence until they reached the gate. 

"Hold on for one moment, you two. I need to teach you something before you leave from here." Impa said, as she took out an old ocarina from her pocket. Link and Kage froze and faced her. Impa inwardly smiled. The two boys may have been nervous, scared even, but they still had that incessant resolve that had appeared when Zelda had told them of their destinies. The shadow elf, so aptly named Kage, knew what she was from first glance, and even though he was frightened of her, he followed her without incident, without so much as a whimper of fright. He had shrunk back from her when she appeared, but, that was an expected response from him. He was still a child, after all. But then again, so was Link.

"What is it that you want to teach us?" Link asked, genuinely curious.

"I need to teach you how to play 'Zelda's Lullaby' on your ocarinas. This song will be important if you wish to get an audience from any of the upper class folk. It will prove your connection to the Royal Family." Impa said, then started playing the melody for them. They listened carefully the first time she played it, then they tried it on theirs. She chuckled when one of them played the wrong note and scowled at his ocarina, but was pleased when he went right back to playing it, picking up from where he'd made his mistake. Soon the two were playing in unison. Then she got a surprise. They started harmonizing their ocarinas! When they had finished playing, some clapping startled them. They were getting applause for their performance! The guards they had seen earlier were standing there; along with two bedraggled looking fairies. 

"That was very impressive! It is not often that I hear ocarina playing like that! That could very well save your lives. Now, head to Kakariko Village; show the palisade guards there the letter, then go to Death Mountain. You still have a long way to go before you can become heroes." Impa said, the two youths looked at one another, then nodded, knowing that they had to go to the dreaded Death Mountain in order to help fulfill their destiny. As they left the castle, a dark cloud gathered in the horizon, hinting at the darkness that was to come.

Chapter Two: The Goron's Ruby

Before they turned their attention to the objective, Link decided that they needed to stop and restock their supplies. They were running low on food and they had nothing to carry water in. They had just reached the first paddock of the ranch they had stopped at earlier, when they heard a joyful voice call their names.

"Link! Kage! Welcome back! How did it go at the castle?" Malon asked, as she ran over to them, hugging them as though they had been gone for years. 

"Things went well. We got a clue on where to head next and we learned our first song on our ocarinas. But we need some supplies before we can get going." Kage replied.

"Then you've come to the right place! We have some water skins and some extra food packs full of food that need to go somewhere! I'll go and get them if you like!" Malon offered, eager to help her friends.

"Yes, please! Thanks so much for your help!" Link said, cheerfully.

"No problem! By the way, while you are here, would you like to meet my two favorite foals of this spring?" Malon asked.

"Sure!" Link said, as he and Kage cautiously climbed the fence and walked across the paddock with the girl. They walked along behind her until they came to some mares and their new foals. One foal had a reddish brown coat with black feet, the other was solid black with a blaze running down his nose. 

"What're their names?" Link asked, as he held a hand out to one of the foals, watching as it stuck its head out inquisitively, then shied away from him. 

"The red one's name is Epona, the other one, the colt, is named Ryuuhi. Oh, they seem to be afraid of you." Malon said, noticing that the foals had taken refuge behind their mothers.

"They seem to be." Kage said, dismayed by the horses' behaviour, thinking that it was because he was so unusual.

"Don't worry, they usually stop being afraid if they hear my mother's song." Malon said, comfortingly, noticing Kage's crestfallen look.

"Your mother's song? Do you think we could learn that on our ocarinas?" Link asked, turning a gentle gaze onto the frightened baby horse.

"Yeah! Now, listen carefully." Malon instructed, then started singing. Link and Kage were amazed by how pretty Malon's voice really was. When she had sung it through once, Link and Kage started playing. Like before, when they made a mistake, they went back and corrected it. After about fifteen minutes, they were playing the tune flawlessly. Kage was so caught up in his playing that he didn't realize that a soft nose had touched his face until an equally soft, wet, pink tongue licked his face.

"Ah! Hey!" Kage said, with a laugh. The foal that had come up to him, Ryuuhi, neighed a tiny little neigh and danced away, only to return to his side a moment later. Link had gotten a similar response from Epona, who now allowed him to get close and touch her soft baby fur. Link buried his face in the foal's neck and breathed in the scent. 

"She smells good. Like sunshine and new grass." Link murmured, keeping his voice soft so he wouldn't frighten Epona. Epona's ears turned this way and that, taking in the sound of this new person's voice so she would know who he was later.

"That's what all new foals smell like. It looks like you and Epona and Kage and Ryuuhi will be good friends from now on." Malon said, watching as Ryuuhi allowed Kage to scratch the places behind his ears, and Kage got his elfin ears nibbled on in the process. Reluctantly, Link admitted that it was time to leave. With Navi and Mizuu's urging, the two Kokiri children got what they needed then started off for Kakariko Village and Death Mountain. It was a day and a half of hard travel. The land they were now entering was rough and hilly, a far cry from the flat, grassy land of central Hyrule. They were relieved when they reached Kakariko Village, where they stopped at a well and caught their breaths, before pressing on. Village children looked at the strange travelers in wonder and often pointed at their attire and commented on it as they passed. When they reached a gate, a guard who was stationed there stopped them.

"Where do you two think you're going? Don't you realize what lies beyond this gate?" the guard asked.

"We have permission to pass through here, sir." Link said, acting twice his age. 

The guard, surprised by the show of maturity, yet incredulous of the claim, said, "Show me some proof that you have permission to go through here." Link in turn revealed the sealed letter and handed it to the guard.

"Well! This is the Royal Seal! The princess has strange taste in messengers, these days. All right, I will let you through. But be careful, this isn't the place to let your guard down, you know. There's all kinds of bad stuff going on around here, nowadays." The guard said, as he signaled the men in charge of the gate opening mechanism to start opening the gate. 

"We know. That's part of the reason why we're here." Link replied, as the gate opened to reveal the path before them.

"Great, more rocky ground to walk on!" Kage moaned, not looking forward to walking on the rough-hewn path. The guard chuckled at that remark, then looked grimly down the path. 

"Here's your letter. Be careful on that path!" the guard said, as he handed them the sealed parchment, then stood aside and watched them walk through the gateway. 

"We will! Thank you for your time!" Link called back over his shoulder. The guard's old, weather-beaten face sobered as he thought of the dangers that the two boys had yet to face.

"May the gods be merciful to those two lads." The guard said, as he made the motion to close the gate behind them. It was another day of hard walking before they reached their destination. 

"So this is Goron City!" Link said, as they walked into town.

"Yeah. Finally, a place to sit down!" Kage said, as he sat on the lip of a fountain, took his boots off, and rubbed his sore feet.

"You two have never had to walk so far before! Yet you did better than we thought you would!" Navi said, as Link took Kage's example and sat down, happy enough to take a load off of his aching legs.

"Thanks Navi, I guess." Link said, not certain as to take her statement as an insult or a compliment.

"Are you children lost?" a woman's voice asked from behind. Both Kokiri whirled around to find a motherly looking woman standing there.

"No ma'am. We just came here because we needed to deliver a letter to someone." Kage said, politely.

"Oh. Who is the letter to?" the woman asked, gently. Link shrugged.

"It doesn't say, but, whoever it is to, it is important." Link replied.

"If it is to the king, then go down to the engraved doorway and follow the carpet inside. I'm sure he will hear you out." The woman suggested.

"Thanks so much, ma'am." Kage said, and he and Link stood up and dipped polite bows to her.

"You're very welcome. I wish the village youth were as polite as you two are. But I'm afraid that it will be awhile before any more children are born here." The woman said, sadly.

"Why? What's wrong?" Link asked.

"There is a serious famine going on around here. There isn't enough food for us to eat, and the water supply is starting to suffer as well. We don't have enough food to support children should any be born here." The woman said, gloomily.

"I see. That's so sad. Maybe the famine will break in a little while." Link said, somehow emphasizing with the people of the stricken town.

"I hope so. Thank you for talking to me." The woman said, with a smile.

"You're welcome! Hopefully the next time we come here the famine will have broken." Link said, as he and Kage put their boots back on and started walking in the way the woman had indicated.

"I hope to see you then!" the woman said, waving as they disappeared from sight. When they came to the door, Link, Kage , Navi and Mizuu stopped. 

"What is it, Link?" Kage asked, as Link cautiously stepped forward and touched the heavy oak door.

"It's enchanted." Link replied, suddenly looking troubled.

"What's enchanted?" Kage asked, as Link again stood next to him.

"The door. It won't open if you push it or pull it. Why don't you try playing that lullaby on your ocarinas and see what happens?" Navi suggested.

"It's worth a shot." Link said, as he raised his ocarina to his lips and started playing the lullaby. Kage joined in a few seconds later. With a groan, the door complied with the musical command and opened.

"All right!" Kage shouted, happily. 

"Let's go." Link said, as he led the way. They followed the pathway until they reached the inner sanctum of the castle and the foot of King Darunia's throne.

"Oh, what brings you two children here, hmm? And in this time of famine too?" the king asked, as he looked down at the two Kokiri from his throne.

"We came here with permission from Princess Zelda, sire." Link replied, politely.

"Princess Zelda? Such a high claim for one so young! Prove it to me!" Darunia said, as he reclined back into his throne, obviously feigning nonchalance. Link then produced his ocarina and started to play Zelda's Lullaby for him. The king listened in amazement as Kage started playing his and enhanced the tune with his own ocarina. 

"Now I am impressed! I haven't heard the lullaby played like that since Princess Zelda's first birthday." Darunia said, sounding very pleased with their talent. 

"Sire, I have one question. It regards a certain stone." Link said. Kage knew what he meant almost immediately. They already had the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, now they had to get the ones for fire and water.

"You mean the Spiritual Stone of Fire? I am sorry, young ones, but I can't give you that information. You may have charmed me by playing Zelda's Lullaby, but you will have to do much more than that to gain my trust. Now, putting that aside, would you mind playing a more cheerful tune so I can get these problems off my mind for a while?" Darunia asked.

"Sure." Kage said, taking up the lead and started playing a tune he remembered from his tribe's town. It was a lively tune, designed for dancing, and soon King Darunia was tapping his toes in rhythm to the song. When the song had ended, they again received applause, but this time it came from Darunia. 

"Thank you for such a lively tune! I shall have to teach my court musicians that one!" Darunia said, with a loud laugh.

"You're welcome, your Highness. Hopefully the next time we meet, it will be under better circumstances." Kage said, with a polite bow. Link did the same, before turning and walking out the way they had come. 

"Okay, now where to?" Kage asked, as they emerged from the castle.

"We head back to the Kokiri Forest and ask for directions to the Spiritual Stone of Fire from Mido. He should tell us where it is located." Link replied, grinning when he heard Kage groan.

"What's the matter, Kage?" Mizuu asked.

"You mean we've got to walk all the way back to the Kokiri Forest? My feet already hurt bad enough as it is!" Kage complained, as Link started heading away from the city.

"Well, so much for what I'd said earlier." Navi said, getting a dirty look from Kage while she was at it. The trek back to Kakariko Village was much easier than the journey away from it. The guard was relieved to see that the two boys were all right and, since it was dusk when they arrived at the gate, allowed them to stay with his family for the night. The next morning they started off for Kokiri Forest, but when they were halfway there, a kindly merchant who was heading back from Hyrule Castletown and was returning home for a while offered them a ride. Link and Kage gladly accepted the ride and the merchant took them as far as the bridge then dropped them off. 

"Thanks for the ride, sir." Link said, as he and Kage hopped off.

"Anytime, lads, anytime. I understand how tough it must be on you two to travel so far on foot. I did it quite a few times myself when I was younger. Good luck!" the merchant said, as he turned his cart around, flicked the old cob with the reins, and then rode off.

"Thanks again!" Kage said, waving to the old man, then running into the forest, where Link stood waiting.

"Let's leave the packs here, since we'll be coming through here again in a little while anyway." Link said, as he shed the leather pack, leaving only the wooden Kokiri shield and the sword. Kage did the same, then followed him to where they knew Mido to be. Kokiri villagers looked up as Link and Kage strode into their small town. 

"Well, well! Look whose back! The misfits!" Mido shouted, with a laugh, trying to get a rise out of Link and Kage. 

"We found him faster than I'd expected, Link." Kage grumbled, as Mido strutted up to them. Link rolled his eyes but said nothing.

"So, was the big, bad world too much for you, Link? Kage? Hmm?" Mido jeered.

"They handled it quite well, better than what you would have, Mido!" Navi said, in Link's defense. 

"Wha…? Who're you?" Mido asked, in disbelief.

"I'm Navi, Link's guardian sprite." Navi replied.

"Link's guardian WHAT?!? But Link doesn't have a sprite!" Mido yelped, his expression proving to be very comical to Kage, who stood there trying not to laugh.

"He's does now, buddy. I was assigned to him by the Great Deku Tree himself!" Navi said, haughtily. 

"I'll bet. You're probably somebody else's fairy who has been put up to this and is putting words in the late Deku Tree's mouth!" Mido said, contemptuously. 

"Now he's in for it." Kage whispered to Link, as Navi started glowing a reddish orange color.

"Say what?!?! Ooohhhh! Now you're going to get it!" Navi shouted, as she grabbed Mido by the ear and started dragging him around by the ear.

"OW OW OW OW!!!!!!!! LEGGO MY EAR! YOU STUPID @#!$%$&^&%!" Mido wailed, as Navi proceeded to drag him straight to a water trough that was set up for the Kokiri horses, pulled him straight off of the ground, and dropped him into the icy water.

"Aiiee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's cold!!!!!!!!!" Mido screeched, leaping up so fast and so high, that the rest of the Kokiri had to pull out the emergency tarp that was used during the fire season in order to catch him. When Mido returned to earth, he stomped up to a rather smug looking Link and growled, "I hate you." 

"Isn't that fairly obvious?" Link asked, as the rest of the villagers started laughing. Mido glared at him.

"You didn't come back here just to make a fool out of me! What do you want?" Mido asked, anxious to get the two travelers out of his hair.

"We came to ask for directions to the Spiritual Stone of Fire." Kage said, speaking up for the first time since they had returned. Mido looked taken aback.

"The Spiritual Stone of Fire? Don't tell me you don't know where it is! It was right under your noses the entire time! The entrance to its holding place is on the cliff overlooking Goron City! Now go and visit Saria, she'll want to see you two, since you're her favorites and all." Mido said, waving them off with a dripping hand.

"Thank you, Oh Great Mido!" Link said, with a blatant sarcastic air, before dashing off in the direction of the Lost Woods. Mido watched the four go, with a look of contempt on his face. The look disappeared when he let loose an earth-shattering sneeze that could probably even be heard from Hyrule Castle. 

"That was great Navi! Dumping the 'great' Mido in that trough like that! You deserve a medal of commendation!" Kage said, between laughs as he and Link traveled through the Lost Woods with relative ease, since they had been through here many times before. 

"It won't nothin!" Navi said, with a giggle, when she thought of the surprised look on Mido's face when she'd dropped him into the water. 

"It was so something! Nobody before would have had the guts to have done what you did, Navi!" Link said, laughing as Navi playfully tugged on his right ear. They continued walking till they had reached the place at the end of the twisted path; the Sacred Forest Meadow. 

"Urgh, I hope there aren't any Wolfos out here this time! I hate those things!" Kage said, with a shudder of revulsion. 

"I'm afraid that that is one wish that will have to go ungranted, Kage! Look at what's comin' our way!" Mizuu shouted, as two of the snarling beasts charged out of the opposite end of the field. With a yelp, the two boys split up, taking a Wolfos apiece. With a quick back flip, Link jumped over the Wolfos' head and landed on its back, grabbing onto a tuft of hair and hanging on for dear life as the beast thrashed about. Kage dashed around, slashing at the other Wolfos' head with his sword, getting a few really good hits in before it swiped at his unprotected left leg with its unnaturally sharp claws.

"Itai!" Kage screamed, as he tucked and rolled to avoid another hit.

"Kage!" Link shouted, from atop his Wolfos, his eyes frantic.

"Don't worry about me, Link! Take care of that one! Stab 'im between the shoulders! That should kill 'im!" Kage said, from between gritted teeth, as he dodged blow after blow from the Wolfos he was fighting. With a nod, Link drove his sword into the space between his Wolfos' shoulders, using all his strength to do so. The Wolfos let out a pained howl as the sharp, short-bladed sword punctured a lung. With a wild effort, the wounded Wolfos tried to throw Link off, but couldn't shed the tenacious Kokiri. Kage let out a scream of desperation and leaped forward when his Wolfos opened itself up to attack, stabbing the beast in the chest as far as his sword would go. Then before the Wolfos could reach up and slash him again, he leaped away with as much strength as he could, considering his wounded leg. For a moment the Wolfos just stood on its hind legs, with a look of hatred and hellfire in its glowing eyes, then the beast fell with a dull thud onto its side.

"Hang in there, Link!" Kage shouted, as Link continued to ride the flailing Wolfos. Retrieving his sword from his Wolfos' chest, he then ran in to help Link kill the one he was facing.

"My sword's stuck! I can't get it out!" Link yelped, as the Wolfos' turned to snap at Kage. 

"Hang on!" Kage said again, as he got underneath the Wolfos, then stabbed upwards with his own blade. The Wolfos stopped for a moment, then started to fall.

"Yipe!" Kage yelped, leaping to avoid getting crushed by the dead Wolfos' body. The battle had begun and ended so quickly that the two fairies hadn't even had time to intervene in the midst of it all. Navi heard a ripping sound and saw Link rip some material from his tunic to stanch the bleeding in Kage's leg wound.

"_I see now! How those two, of all people, could be chosen to become the heroes of us all!_" Navi thought, as she watched the two boys stand up, Link supporting Kage, and walk to the gate that had just opened. They left the dirty business of retrieving their swords to the fairies. The rest of the path was clear as they moved from there to the field that Saria often visited. 

"Link! Kage! You're back!" Saria shouted, as she ran over to them and hugged them both.

"Good to see you too, Saria. We had a little run-in with some Wolfos on the way here and Kage's leg got a little torn up." Link said, pointing at Kage's bandaged leg to prove his point. 

"Oh, I see! Hold on, I'll be right back! I have some salve here that should do the trick!" Saria said, as she rushed off to find the salve. Link helped Kage sit down, then went to go change his tunic, since the one he'd been wearing was torn, bloodstained and smudged with dirt. When Saria returned, Link had a clean tunic on and he had unwrapped Kage's injury so she could treat it.

"This might sting a little, Kage, so brace yourself." Saria informed, as she started rubbing the salve into the wound. Kage winced as Saria gently rubbed the salve in, but didn't even utter a sound when she finished and wrapped the leg in some clean bandages. 

"Thank you, Saria." Kage said, as he stood up and tested his weight on his leg.

"No problem. So, what did you two return for?" Saria asked. 

"We came here for some more information. What exactly are these Spiritual Stones?" Link asked, as he held the green Forest Stone in his hands.

"Those stones are the keys to the Temple of Time. Gather all three and you will both be able to enter the Temple. Within the temple is the entrance to the Sacred Realm. Only the heroes can enter there." Saria replied, as Link and Kage nodded their understanding. She smiled; it was no wonder that these two were her favorites. They both had had a hard time of it in the Kokiri Village, with Mido hounding them about being different from the others. But they had persevered through it all. Now they had a few battles under their belts, but there was so much more they had to learn, and there wasn't much time left.

"Now I need to teach you something. Get your ocarinas out." Saria said, smiling when she saw Kage make a face that was a cross between disgusted and pained. 

"Another song?" Kage asked, looking like he'd seen and heard enough about the ocarina for one lifetime.

"Yes. Another song. Now, pay attention. This is vitally important. If you two get in a bind and need my help later on, you can reach me with this song. This is my song." Saria said, as she raised her own ocarina to her lips and played her song for them. It took only a short time to pick up on it and they were soon playing it through without problems.

"Thank you for your help, Saria. Now to head back to Goron City and see if the Spiritual Stone of Fire is there." Link said, as Kage groaned, more from dread than from pain.

"Don't worry, Kage, your leg should heal faster now that you and Link have heard my song. You see that salve I put on your leg is connected to the song. Every time you hear it, the wound will heal even faster. Good luck on your journey, you two." Saria said, as Link and Kage started walking away. The journey back to Kakariko Village was much easier on them this time around. Some soldiers that were heading to the village to check things out were kind enough to let them ride in the wagon. The wagon, which was full of hay for the horses, was the perfect place to sleep until they got to their destination. 

"They sure are young, aren't they, Captain?" one soldier asked, when he'd glanced into the wagon and saw that the two boys had fallen asleep. 

"Yes, they are. But, if they are the ones foretold of in legend, then they carry a whole lot of destiny on their shoulders. But they've already made this journey to Kakariko once. They even made it to Death Mountain by themselves. Now what kind of child could do that on his own?" the Captain replied, smiling as the two guardian sprites alighted on their charges and kept watch. When they got to the village, the Captain gently roused the two boys.

"Hey, you two! Wake up! We're here. You can't very well sleep the day away in there, you know." The Captain said, as he leaned over and lightly shook the two boys. With some reluctance, the two sleepy boys complied and got up. 

"Thanks for the ride." Link said, as he yawned and stretched.

"No problem. Glad we could help." The Captain said, as he watched the two boys walk off. As Link and Kage were heading towards the gate, Kage stopped and looked to his right.

"What is it, Kage?" Mizuu asked, as she flitted over to him.

"I just had the feeling that we should go in there, but there's a graveyard over there. What could be in there that we need?" Kage asked, as Link stood beside him and took in the scene.

"Let's walk through and see. We might find something in this place." Link said, as he carefully climbed the fence and jumped down into the graveyard.

"Ugh. We're actually traipsing into a graveyard! I think all this 'Hero of Time' stuff has finally gone to Link's head!" Kage muttered under his breath as he followed Link into the burial area. After about ten minutes, Link found something.

"Kage! Mizuu! Get over here! Come and look at this!" Link shouted, excitedly. Kage came running.

"What is it, Link?" Kage asked, breathlessly.

"Look at this tombstone! See the symbol on it?" Link asked, as he pointed at the symbol. It was the shape of three triangles facing up and a fourth facing upside down in the middle of the design. 

"That is the sign of the Triforce! Only the Royal Family can wear that crest!" Navi said, finally noticing Link's discovery.

"Come to think of it, wasn't Princess Zelda wearing something like that on her hat?" Kage asked, as he thought back on that previous adventure. 

"Yeah! She was!" Link said, pleased that they had found something in the place of the dead.

"What do you think? What could this mean?" Kage asked.

"I don't know. Let me try something." Link said, as he pulled out his ocarina and stood on a patch of ground that matched the symbol on the stone. Kage watched as he started playing Zelda's Lullaby and, when he'd finished, suddenly disappear in a cloud of dust.

"Link!" Kage yelped, and rushed over to where a hole now was.

"I'm okay, Kage! C'mon! Let's see if there's anything down here that might help us in our quest!" Link shouted, as he dusted himself off. Kage groaned. He never liked graveyards and now he was about to enter a tomb! 

"Where did I get such rotten luck?" Kage grumbled, as he carefully lowered himself into the hole after his friend.

"In a graveyard, where else?" Navi joked, receiving a scathing glare from Kage for her troubles. 

"Don't start, you two. 'Sides, I hear some bats movin' around in here. We need to try not to disturb them, if at all possible." Link said, as his sensitive ears picked up on the faint scratching of bat claws on stone. They proceeded forward as quietly as they could. Then they came to where the bats were roosting. Silently, Link removed his Fairy Slingshot from its place on his belt, keeping his eyes glued on the bats. There were four bats total, and, from what Kage could tell, they were of the bloodsucking variety. Kage took up Link's example and got his slingshot ready for firing. Silently, the two pint sized warriors took aim, pulled back, and fired, with deadly accuracy. Two bats fell dead to the floor, the other two then took flight, and ready to take vengeance on those that had killed their kin. Moving quickly to avoid getting bitten, Link fired another shot, hitting another bat in the wing, this bat he quickly killed with his sword. Kage finished the last bat off with a quick, deft stab from his sword.

"Good work, Kage." Link said, as he wiped the bat's blood off of the blade of his sword with a rag from his old tunic.

"You didn't do half bad yourself, Link." Kage commented, as he in turn did the same with his sword and resheathed it. They were then startled by the sound of stone grating against stone as a door opened in the wall that the bats had been hanging in front of just moments before.

"Let's go." Link said, getting a thumbs up from Kage. They moved silently into the connecting cavern. Kage had to keep himself from yelling in horror when he saw two zombie-like creatures lumbering aimlessly about.

"ReDeads!" Link whispered, his voice filled with disbelief and disgust. 

"I thought those things were only fairy tales meant to scare little kids into obeying their elders! I didn't think that those creepy things actually existed!" Kage whispered, shuddering with revulsion when he caught a whiff of one of the zombies. 

"We need to get past them and get to the next room. C'mon, I think I see a way around." Link said, as he motioned for Kage and the two fairies to follow. As carefully as they could, they kept to the wall avoiding the ReDeads as well as the occasional bat as they made their way to the door. When they were in the next chamber, they all breathed a sigh of relief. They had avoided getting into a nasty battle with the undead creatures. 

"Hey! Look at the wall! It has writing on it!" Mizuu said, as she floated over to it.

"You're right, Mizuu! Looks like musical notes!" Kage said, when he took a closer look at the mentioned wall.

"The Sun's Song? Is that the name of it? Well, might as well give it a try. It's going to be harder to learn since we don't have anyone to listen to before we try it." Link said, as he raised his ocarina to his lips and played each note in sequence. Kage followed his lead and started playing the notes, soon they were playing the song through smoothly. 

"Let's get out of here." Link said, feeling that they had gotten what they had come down there for. After sneaking past the zombies again, they went again into the room they had first arrived in, and used their hookshots to get out of the hole. 

"Whew! Am I glad to get out of that awful place!" Kage said, breathing in the fresh air, feeling better now that he was out of the crypt. 

"Hey! Try out that new song and see what it does!" Navi said.

"Okay, here goes." Link said, then started playing the Sun's Song. 

"Link! The sun! It's going down and it's getting dark! That's what that song does! It controls daylight and dark!" Kage said, in amazement.

"So that's what it does! Hey! That grave! The one with the flowers in front of it! It has some kind of aura around it!" Mizuu said, as she turned her attention to the now glowing tombstone.

"Don't tell me that we're about to go into another grave! We just came out of one!" Kage moaned, not wishing to repeat the little adventure they had just emerged from.

"Oh, stop whining, crybaby!" Navi ordered, getting a little fed up with Kage's complaints. Link merely rolled his eyes as Navi and Kage started arguing about who was the crybaby and walked over to the tombstone. For a moment he stood there, wondering what to do next, then he pulled on the stone and was surprised when it moved and revealed a passageway.

"Navi, Mizuu, Kage, get over here! This thing has opened up a passageway!" Link shouted, trying to get their attention.

"A passageway? Where does it lead, Link?" Kage asked.

"How should I know? I only opened the thing just now!" Link said, a little testily, as he started to lead the way inside the passage. With a reluctant look behind him, Kage followed Link into the passage. It wasn't a very long passage, but it took them a few minutes to reach the end of it and the contents it held.

"Treasure chests!" Kage said, in amazement, as he walked over to one and tested the lock.

"They're unlocked as well. Let's see what's in these." Link said, as he threw open the lid to his treasure chest and looked inside. They were further surprised by what they found. Inside the chests were two, well made, Hylian Shields. 

"Wow. Now those are army regulation issue shields, Link. Some of those soldiers you were with earlier had some of these with them." Navi said, as she looked over his shoulder at the prize.

"They'll be good for protection, but they'll be heavy and really slow us down. Do we really need these things?" Kage asked, dreading the long walk to Goron City with the shields.

"You might need them later." Mizuu said. 

"I had a feeling you were going to say that." Kage groaned. Link only chuckled and shook his head. He knew that the constant moving around was tough on his friend, who was so used to the ease of the forest's paths. It also had to be tough on his leg that of which had just begun to scab over from their encounter with the Wolfos. 

"How is your leg holding up, Kage?" Link asked, as they shouldered the heavy shields on their backs along with their Deku shields and swords and food packs.

"It's a lil' sore, but nothin' I can't handle, Link. If there's anything I won't complain about it is injuries when I get 'em. Don't worry about me, I'm all right." Kage replied, as they made their way out of the passage. Link looked relieved. Navi could tell that Kage's injury had been at the back of his mind, because he'd given Kage some concerned looks back in the crypt, when he'd thought that she wasn't looking. After playing the Sun's Song again and returning daylight to the area, they headed out of the graveyard and proceeded straight to the gate. The gate guard recognized them as they walked up.

"Hello again, you two! Looks like you've got a back load of things on you this time!" the guard said, with a friendly smile.

"Yes. It'll make the travel a little more difficult, but it'll be worth it to have these things later on." Link replied, with a grin. 

"That's wise thinking for a lad such as yourself! Good luck, you two! Have a safe journey!" the guard said, as the men under him opened the gate and let the two boys through. It took them a while longer to reach Goron City, but they made it. Kage had started to limp about a mile before reaching the entrance of the castle and Link had had to take his shield onto his already overburdened shoulders and help him walk. To reach the inner sanctum where King Darunia sat was a relief for both of them and offered a chance to sit down. The king of the Gorons looked concerned as the two boys sat there for a few minutes, panting in exhaustion. 

"Are you two all right?" Darunia asked.

"Yes, sire, we will be……in a moment." Link panted, as he wiped sweat from his brow and looked up at the king. He instantly regretted that move. No sooner did he do so, he felt dizzy and started to pass out. He could hear the fairies and the king call out, but those sounds soon faded and blackness covered him.

When Link regained consciousness, he found himself in an unfamiliar room. 

"Where am I? What happened?" Link asked, feeling weaker than he ever had in his life.

"Lie still, lad. You got overheated and passed out in the throne room. The king carried you and your friend in here himself and told us to tell him when you awoke." A man, obviously a healer, said, as he placed a cool, wet cloth on his forehead. 

"Where's Kage? Is he okay?" Link asked, instantly worried about his friend.

"He is fine. In fact, he's as good as new. My apprentice performed a healing spell on that wound on his leg and it healed up nicely. He is asleep in the next room. I will go and wake him, if you want me to." The healer said, allaying Link's fears.

"No. Let him sleep. He needs all the rest he can get before we do any more traveling. I'm sorry about all the trouble we've caused you and your king." Link said, apologetically.

"Don't worry about it. King Darunia has always been a kind ruler and he does everything he can to help people. When you passed out, he leaped out of his throne and brought you here personally. He wanted to be sure that you two got the best medical care." The healer said, as Darunia himself entered, with a young woman who was apparently the aforementioned apprentice.

"How do you feel, young man?" the king asked, gruffly.

"Tired, but otherwise much better, sire." Link replied, honestly.

"That is good to hear. Did you two boys come all this way to find out more about the Goron's Ruby?" the king asked.

"Yes sir." Link replied.

"My people have already been through your belongings and found the Forest Stone. I need no further proof that you and your friend are the legendary heroes as foretold in legends. Only the two heroes can gather those stones together. I am ready to tell you more about the Spiritual Stone of Fire." Darunia said, as he sat in the plain wooden chair next to Link's bed.

"I would greatly appreciate it, sire." Link said, feeling a little bit stronger when he heard of his and Kage's objective being mentioned. 

"You see, the whole reason that my kingdom is suffering from this famine stems from the stone itself. A horrible beast that calls itself King Dodongo has been terrorizing my people for several months now. He has already killed about half of the population to satisfy his hunger for flesh. Dodongo has taken possession of the stone you seek, and has it holed up in his cavern. If you can kill this creature, young man, you can have the stone." The king said, as he looked worriedly at Link's face.

"Don't worry, your Highness. Kage and I have already beaten several evil entities already. We both handled Queen Gohma, we can handle Dodongo." Link said, confidently.

"There is no doubt that you can handle Dodongo, lad, but I just hate sending children to do a job that I should have done a long time ago." Darunia said, miserably. Link was about to open his mouth when he heard Kage let out a yelp and fall out of bed.

"Kage's awake." Link said, with an exasperated look on his young face. The king only chuckled and shook his head, knowing all too well what it was like to fall out of bed. 

The next day the two youths stood in King Darunia's throne room. They both had their packs restocked and their canteens full.

"Thank you for your kindness, King Darunia." Link said, as he and Kage bowed.

"Don't mention it. By the way, I have one more thing to bestow on you. These bracelets were made for the heroes of legend. One is for Kage and the other is for you, Link. They are no ordinary pieces of jewelry, however. These will allow you to pick up bombs from the bomb flowers that grow all throughout this land. It might come in handy when you face Dodongo." Darunia said, as he handed the glowing golden bracelets to the two youths.

"Thank you, your Highness! Don't worry! We'll kill that mean ol' beast for ya!" Kage said, cheerfully, as he put the bracelet on his arm (his wrist was too small to have it fit properly there) and walked out after Link. 

"Good luck you two. May the gods have mercy on you both." Darunia murmured, knowing that the survival of his people depended on the two Kokiri. As Link and Kage walked out of the city, they came across a lone villager with two flowers.

"Excuse me, sir, but, are those bomb flowers?" Link asked, eager to try his new weapon out.

"Yes, young man. But you can't pick the bomb unless you have a bracelet." The villager replied, watching in amazement as Link and Kage casually picked the bombs from the flowers. 

"What do you intend to do now, now that you have those bombs?" the villager asked.

"We intend to kill that monster that has been plaguing your city, that is what we intend to do. And we'll do it too." Kage said, as he gently eased the bomb into his pack and the two walked off, eager to help the stricken city and continue on with their major quest. Not far down the path, the villager winced when he heard some explosions, but looked down off the cliff and saw that the two elfin children had just cleared a way to get into Dodongo's lair!

"Smart boys." The villager muttered, as he watched the two descend down the cliff with their hookshots. After Kage and Link had figured out a way to get into the cavern, they made their way the center alcove. As they were walking through, Kage noticed something that lay on the floor, covered in years of dust. 

"Look at this, Link." Kage said, as he bent over and picked it up.

"What is it, Kage?" Link asked, as he and the two fairies looked over Kage's shoulder.

"Looks like a map of some kind. I'm going to keep it in case we need it later." Kage said, as he carefully tucked it away into his pack. 

"Good idea. Now, let's get onto that ledge over there and blow the door open." Link said, seeing that the only way to get deeper into the caves was through the blocked doorway that was up on the ledge. After they had blown the door open, they carefully made their way into another room that had two statues in it.

"Those are probably some of the ugliest statues I've ever seen! This Dodongo guy sure doesn't have good taste in décor!" Navi commented, with an air of disgust, as she flitted around the stonework. 

"They are ugly, but I think they serve a purpose other than to gross out visitors! C'mon, Kage! Help me push this onto that switch!" Link said, as he put his back to one of the statues and started pushing it.

"What switch?" Kage asked.

"The one you are standing on, Kage." Mizuu said, dryly.

"Oh." Kage said, then started helping his friend push the heavy stone statues onto the switch. Not too long after they had moved the statues onto the switch, the sound of stone grinding against stone was heard, signaling that another door had been opened.

"Let's go." Link said, as he led the way into the next room. They ducked as soon as they heard the familiar screech of angry bats. With lightning fast reflexes they whipped out their slingshots and fired stones at the bats. This time Kage's aim was true and killed a bat in mid-flight. Link took out the other bat with his third shot. 

"Just like in the tomb." Kage muttered, as he put his slingshot back in his pack. Then they heard another familiar sound. The sound of hissing and scales brushing against one another.

"Lizalfos!" Kage whispered, unsheathing his sword, prepared for battle. Link nodded and did the same, knowing that they were about to confront some creatures that were twice their height. The lizard-like creatures stood between them and the door to the next room. With a nod, Link signaled that the time was right to attack.

"Now or never." Kage agreed with the silent command. With a yell the two young warriors charged at the reptilian guards. The Lizalfos, taken by surprise by the sudden sound, barely had enough time to react before the warriors were on them. By the time the dust had settled, the two Lizalfos guards were dead and the doorway to the room beyond was clear. Reaching back into his pack, Kage pulled out the bomb he'd tucked in there earlier and threw it at the rock wall that was before them. The room beyond that was almost completely dark and they needed more light in order to continue on. With a stroke of luck, Link found some flint, and, with the aid of his Deku stick, lit the torches that were scattered throughout the room. Now they could see where they were going. 

"Take the west door, I think that's the way to go!" Navi said, as she flew ahead to show them the way. When they had gotten through the doorway, Kage paused and looked down.

"Here's another switch, Link." Kage said, as he tested it with his foot.

"At least you are paying better attention to your surroundings now, Kage." Mizuu said, getting a dirty look from Kage while she was at it.

"Don't start, you two. Wait till after we kill this Dodongo thing to have a fight, okay?" Link said, trying to get their minds back to the business at hand. Kage scowled at Mizuu and Link could only guess that Mizuu had just done the same, by the way her color now switched to red. As they moved into the next chamber, Link could almost feel the atmosphere change. The feeling he got in this room was more oppressive than in the others; he knew that they were getting close. 

"Look at all the Bomb Flowers!" Kage commented, looking at the lone column in the room and all of the flowers that were planted around it. 

"There's one Bomb Flower that is all by itself. Maybe that's a clue to blow up the wall behind it." Mizuu suggested.

"Let's try that. You might be on to something, Mizuu." Link said, as he shook off the feeling of foreboding and walked towards the lone flower. With almost expert care, Link picked up the bomb, motioned for everyone to stand back, and hurled it at the wall behind the flower. With an explosion that rang in their ears for about ten seconds afterwards, the wall was blown apart.

"Yeah! You were right on it, Mizuu!" Kage shouted, excitedly.

"Of course, I am, after all, a fairy. I should know about things like that." Mizuu said, proudly. As they entered the room, they saw two treasure chests.

"Oh no. Not more treasure chests! That's how we found these shields!" Kage moaned, dreading opening the chests to find out what was in them. Link shrugged.

"Maybe there's something different inside these, Kage. Something lighter." Link suggested, trying to encourage his friend, whom he knew was tired of lugging the heavy metal shield around. 

"I hope you're right, Link." Kage said, as he picked the lock to the chest and lifted the lid. 

"It's empty……………no…….wait a minute………..well what do you know? Look at this, Kage!" Link said, after scanning the bottom of the chest.

"What is it, Link?" Kage asked, sneezing as some dust wafted up from the inside of his chest.

"It's a compass! This is definitely lighter than these shields!" Link said, with a laugh, holding up his prize so Kage could see.

"Oh yeah!" Kage said, laughing as he dove into his chest and grabbed up the small, metal object, glad that he didn't have to carry yet another shield on his back. 

"It's too bad that this room doesn't lead anywhere else. Let's go back into the room we have just left and see if we can find any more clues on where to go." Link said, as he scanned the wall for any openings and saw none to which they could go through next. As they emerged into the room they had just left behind, Navi noticed an irregularity among the Bomb Flowers that surrounded the pillar. 

"There's an open space between some of those flowers. Try placing a bomb between them and see what happens." Navi suggested. 

"We don't have much of a choice." Link said, as he grabbed another bomb from the flower that was separated from the rest and set it carefully between the flowers that were near the pillar.

"Hit the deck!" Kage yelped, leaping behind some stonework on the other side of the room. Link and the two fairies heeded his advice and dove for cover, just as the bombs detonated. At first, nothing happened, then a low rumbling sound was heard and the four adventurers watched in amazement as a stone staircase came down before them.

"Wow!" Kage said, voicing their thoughts with just that one word.

"You can't just sit there gawking at it, let's go! The Fire Stone awaits!" Navi shouted, coming to her senses rather quickly and flying on ahead of them. 

"All right." Link said, as he followed his fairy, with Kage and Mizuu trailing along behind. As fast as their legs could carry them, they ran up the stairs and across the walkway that was connected to it, finally making it to yet another doorway.

"And guess what? Another room! When are we finally gonna get to this Dodongo thing, anyway?!" Kage asked, in exasperation.

"Well, at least we're closer than what we were to begin with." Mizuu said, offering what consolation she could to the slightly miffed Kokiri. Kage only sighed in frustration and followed Link into the room. After killing a Skulltulla, finding a ladder that was blocked and pushing the statue that blocked it away, then pushing yet another switch that opened yet another room, they were beginning to feel that they would never reach Dodongo. It was the fairies that kept them going. Thirty minutes and several rooms later, Kage was beginning to feel the foreboding Link had felt earlier. They knew that they were getting close, and that there was no turning back now, now that their goal was so near. 

"Well, this is it." Kage murmured, as he and Link approached a hole in the floor that they had made with some bombs.

"Yep. Now or never." Link said, taking a deep, nervous breath before lowering himself through the hole. With that said, the two young adventurers did what no Goron had the courage to do, step right into the very depths of hell!

Chapter Three: The Fiery Road

With a thud, Link and Kage landed in the dark, hot cavern that was the home of King Dodongo. They were quick to regain their footing, since there were bones and rotting flesh scattered all around them. 

"Well, well! What have we here? Two tender little morsels from Hyrule? It is not often that I get such delicacies!" a hissing voice said, from the opposite end of the cavern. The two Kokiri turned abruptly to find that Dodongo was standing right behind them, in all his horrible monstrosity. 

"We didn't come all this way to get eaten, Dodongo! We came here to free the Goron people from your reign of terror!" Link shouted, unsheathing his sword as he said so. Dodongo did his equivalent of raising an eyebrow.

"Is that so? We shall soon see who will die here, you impudent little scamp! Take this!" Dodongo said, then spit flames from his mouth at the two young warriors.

"Whoa!" Kage yelped, leaping to avoid getting hit with the flames. He quickly looked around to see if Link was all right and saw that Link was already figuring out a way to strike back at Dodongo. With tremendous courage, Link hurled bomb after bomb into Dodongo's mouth, hoping that the blasts would stun him long enough for him to get close and deliver a deadly blow. Catching on to what Link was doing, Kage leaped in and attacked using his sword, mercilessly slashing the tough skin of the demonic lizard king with his tough little Kokiri blade. With yells that could have frozen blood, Link and Kage both drove their swords into the tender part of Dodongo's neck, puncturing his windpipe and killing him almost instantly. When the evil king died, Link and Kage looked up as the second Spiritual Stone descended from above and landed squarely between them. 

"The Spiritual Stone of Fire……….at long last. Now to get the one of Water, then we'll be able to open the Sacred Realm and become the heroes of legend." Kage said, with tears in his eyes, as he carefully handled the fire stone and tucked it away into Link's pack.

"Yes. Soon we'll fulfill our place in history." Link said, as he turned to start the long trek out of the cavern. When they finally emerged from the cavern, the entire kingdom of Goron City had turned out to give them a hero's welcome back into the world of the light.

"You did it! You freed us! Thank you!" one person shouted, this one Link and Kage both recognized as the woman they had first talked to when they had first arrived in Goron City. For the first time since they had started on their long and difficult journey, Link felt a certain peace descend over him. He had actually made a difference. 

"Well done, you two! My people and I are very proud of you!" King Darunia said, with a pleased smile. Link and Kage smiled back. It pleased them to know that all their hard work had been appreciated. 

"Now you need to go get that Water stone. But first, you must visit the Great Fairy that resides on top of Death Mountain. She will teach you another skill that you will need to know in order to become heroes." Darunia said, seriously, yet still showing a smile. Link nodded in understanding. He knew that this was one more test to see whether he and his best friend had what it took to become the legendary heroes. As they turned in the direction of Death Mountain, the villagers, who were celebrating their liberation, led the way up the path to a wall ladder. 

"Thank you for your kindness, King Darunia." Link said, as he and Kage started climbing the ladder. All along the wall there were Skulltullas, but Link and Kage were prepared for them and took them out with relative ease. When they had arrived on top of the wall, they got a bomb from a bomb flower that grew there, and threw it at a door wall that blocked their way. When the dust had cleared, they walked into a cave and found what they weren't expecting to find; the Triforce symbol!

"Are you sure we should be standing on this thing, Link?" Kage asked, remembering what had happened the last time when Link had found a Triforce symbol on the ground. 

"We have to stand on it, Kage. This might be the only way to contact the Great Fairy." Link said, matter of factly, much to the dismay of his friend. With a resolute look on his face, Link took out his ocarina and started playing Zelda's Lullaby. After a second, Kage took his out and harmonized with Link's ocarina. 

"What a beautiful melody! I have never heard the royal lullaby played like that before!" a strong, female voice said, as its owner appeared before the two startled boys and their fairies.

"You are the Great Fairy, am I right?" Link asked.

"Yes. And you two youths must be the heroes of legend. I must admit, I am a little surprised that a shadow elf has turned out to be one of the heroes." The Great Fairy said, getting an exasperated look from Kage.

"Great Fairy, I know I'm different……there's no need to rub it in……." Kage said, with a look that made the fairy laugh.

"I apologize then, young warrior. You will have enough adversity in the future, I don't need to add to it by insulting you. Now, are you ready to learn a new sword technique?" the Great Fairy asked, surprising the two young warriors.

"You mean you're not going to make us learn a new song on these ocarinas? YES!! All right!" Kage whooped, happy that he didn't have to learn a new song right away. 

"That is not the way to act in the presence of a Great Fairy, Kage!" Mizuu scolded.

"Well excuse me for even breathin' Mizuu!" Kage snapped back, sparking an argument between them that was almost destined to be long winded, until the Great Fairy broke it up.

"That is quite enough, you two! It is no wonder why the Kokiri and their fairies are usually confined to their forest! Honestly!" the Great Fairy said, bringing the two down a couple of notches.

"Not all of them act like that, Great Fairy. Link is unusually mature for his age." Navi bragged, getting a blush from Link.

"I can tell by the way he holds himself and by the look in his eyes. He has borne all of his burdens well. Now, are you ready to learn?" the Great Fairy asked, patiently.

"Yes. We're ready." Link said, speaking for himself and Kage, who stood sheepishly behind him.

"All right then. Watch closely." The Great Fairy said, as she unsheathed her sword and showed them the technique. After a few humorous tries by Kage and Link, they eventually got it down to an art. Before she departed, the Great Fairy bestowed on them one more gift: the ability to use the Magic Meter to their advantage.

"By the way, another Great Fairy lives close to the castle in Hyrule. When you visit her, tell her that the Great Fairy of Power said hello, would you? I haven't seen her in ages!" the Great Fairy said, with a smile.

"Sure thing, Great Fairy! See you later!" Kage said, as he and Link walked off. As they exited the cave, they noticed that a huge owl now sat near the mouth of the cave.

"Excuse me!" Link called up to the bird.

"Hmm?" the owl asked, turning his great head and looking down on the two youths and their fairies.

"Would you mind giving us a ride down to Kakariko Village, please?" Link asked.

"Certainly! Be glad to! I've been meaning to take a trip in that direction anyway! Hop onto my back and we'll be on our way!" the owl said, obviously very pleased with Link's manners. Soon they were soaring high above the mountains and were heading back into familiar territory. When the owl touched down again, they were just outside of Kakariko Village.

"Thank you for the ride, sir. We're grateful for your help." Link said, again displaying the politeness that Navi was so obviously proud of. 

"You're very welcome, young man. Good luck on your journey." The owl said, before taking off again and disappearing from sight over the trees. 

"Where to now, Link?" Kage asked, as he turned to his friend.

"Lake Hylia. That's probably where we will find the Spiritual Stone of Water. Let's go." Link said, as he started to walk in that direction. With maturity that was finally starting to show after so many adventures, Kage silently followed after Link, knowing that a major part of their life's journey was over and another was just beginning. The journey to Lake Hylia was fairly uneventful, as far as Kage was concerned. But now they didn't go with the usual casual attitude about traveling. Link was now solidly fixed on finding the last stone, so he didn't take the time to rest. Kage didn't complain. He knew that they were closer to their final objective than ever before. After stopping at a merchant's stand and buying some 'magic' beans, they headed straight for the waterfall that Lake Hylia was famous for. 

"Well? Where's the door?" Kage asked, as he and Link crossed the water on the bridge that led behind the waterfall.

"Wait a moment. Let me try something. This worked in Goron City." Link said, as he took out his ocarina and played Zelda's Lullaby. With a slight hiss, a door opened and they walked through it. A guard instantly confronted them.

"State your business." The guard said, calmly. 

"We need to speak to the king, please." Link said, getting over being startled by the guard's appearance. 

"We? You mean that that shadow elf wants to speak to him too? Why?" the guard asked.

"He is also a hero of legend, sir." Mizuu said, speaking up for the first time.

"Heroes of legend, huh? You're awfully small to be fulfilling that role, but come along anyway. Since you knew the Princess of Hyrule's lullaby, I am sure that the king will want to speak to you. Come this way." The guard said, as he started leading the two youths to where the king was. As they walked along, Kage and Link gazed about them in wonder. 

"Sir, is this castle made out of coral?" Kage asked, as he ran a hand over the bumpy stone that made up the walls.

"Yes. Everything that you see here came from the water." The guard replied, as they approached the throne room.

"Guard, are these the ones that were spotted earlier at the merchant's stand?" a voice asked from within the throne room.

"Yes, sire. The two youths request an audience with you, King Zora." The guard replied, respectfully.

"Then by all means, let them in. I have matters I would like to discuss with them." the king's voice said, as the guard moved aside and let Link and his companions in. As they entered, they were awed by the natural pearl enclave that sheltered the main throne room from the limestone above. 

"Well, what brings you to my domain, young ones?" the king asked.

"We came, sire, in search of the Spiritual Stone of Water. We have the stones of Forest and Fire, all we need now is the Water stone." Kage said, quietly.

"I see. I know where the Stone of Water is, but I have a very pressing matter I want to discuss first." Zora said, as lines of worry lined his fishlike features.

"What is it, your Highness?" Link asked, noticing that something else was bothering the king.

"My daughter, Princess Ruto, has been missing for almost a week now. I think the great fish Jabu-Jabu got her while she was swimming. I wanted to ask you two if you would go and rescue her for me." Zora said, gloomily. Kage wrinkled his nose. Not only was he expected to learn songs on his ocarina, but also now he had to go rescue a princess?! Before he make too grotesque a face to be hidden by sheer willpower, Link elbowed him and gave him his 'don't start' look.

"We'll do it, your Highness." Link said, getting a completely abashed look from his friend.

"Wonderful! Now, you will need to learn how to dive deep, since it takes that to find Jabu-Jabu. The practice pool is over there. Collect all the coins that are on the bottom and I will give you both a Silver Scale." Zora said, obviously relieved that the two boys had agreed to help recover his daughter. 

"Excuse me, sire, but, what is a Silver Scale?" Kage asked.

"The Silver Scale will enable you to dive deeper than you would normally be able to." Zora replied. 

"Oh." Kage said, before heading off to the diving pool. Zora children and their instructors looked up when Kage and Link walked into the area. Mizuu knew there was going to be trouble when Kage got his usual impish grin on his face. 

Dashing past Link he shouted, "Last one in is a rotten ReDead!" With a loud whoop he leaped into the pool, sending a huge splash of water back at Link. The Zoras, who had been sedately sitting beside the pool, were quite refreshed by the sudden splash, but Link, who got the brunt of it, stood where he was in absolute shock, then he became a little bit angry.

"Kage! In case you haven't noticed, we're not on vacation here! We're here to practice diving so we can navigate through this place!" Link shouted, as Kage swam over to the edge.

"Aw, c'mon Link! Lighten up! This might be the last chance we have to have some fun before we become heroes! I, for one, am going to enjoy this while I can! This pool is just like the one back home, only it is deeper and a little bit colder." Kage said, almost sounding wistful about the old forest pool where he used to spend many hours swimming or hiding from Mido. Before they could say anything else, a whistle blast signaled that everyone should get out of the water. 

"What's going on?" Link asked.

"The Diving Game is about to begin. The king has signed you two boys up for it already, so go ahead and get to the diving platform." One Zora said, pointing out the platform to them.

"Thanks." Link said, as he and Kage walked over to the mentioned platform. The contest itself didn't take long to master, and soon the two boys had their Silver Scales. To test out their new tools, they swam to Lake Hylia and looked around at the bottom. Kage found a note in a bottle and they both swam back to Zora's Domain to rejoin their fairies and read the note. What they found on the note was disturbing. It proved that Princess Ruto was indeed inside of the fish Jabu-Jabu!

"What now, Link? Do we go and rescue that girl?" Kage asked.

"Yes. If we don't we might never find out where the last Spiritual Stone is. Once again it is either do or die." Link said, determinedly.

"Since it comes to a girl, I would rather die." Kage said, getting a disgusted look on his face.

"C'mon, Kage." Link said, with a smile, knowing that his friend did not like girls too much. With that said, they headed back to King Zora's throne room.

"Well? Did you find any clues to my daughter's whereabouts?" Zora asked, anxiously.

"Yes we did, sire, but it is not what you would want to hear. Kage found this letter at the bottom of Lake Hylia and it says that your daughter is indeed inside the belly of Jabu-Jabu." Link replied, grimly, as he handed the letter to King Zora.

"I see. It is as I'd feared. Here, take these empty bottles and capture some fish. You will need the fish in order to lure Jabu-Jabu out of hiding. Jabu-Jabu himself has taken up residence in the fountain in the room behind me. I wish you both good luck when you fight him." Zora said, as he watched the two boys bow and go out to catch some fish. After they had done so, they returned and walked through the door that led to the fountain. With a stroke of intuition, Kage got one of his bombs out and threw it at the wall between two differently colored rocks. When the dust cleared, Link and the rest could see another Great Fairy cave.

"Now that was brilliant, Kage." Mizuu said, pleased that Kage was finally getting the hang of being a hero-in-training. Once again the lullaby was played and once again a Great Fairy appeared. She was kind and pleasant to them as she taught them how to use a magical spell known as Farore's Wind. 

Before they left the fairy, Kage called back to her, saying, "The Great Fairy of Power said hello!" The fairy smiled and nodded, waving as the two young heroes exited her cave and headed over to a platform that was over the fountain. As though it had sensed their presences, Jabu-Jabu suddenly burst out of the water, his huge mouth agape, ready to eat anything that came his way.

"Release the fish you caught!" Navi shouted, as a fierce wind suddenly started whipping around them. Link and Kage both nodded and released their fish, but, the moment they released their grips on whatever they were hanging on to, they too were swept into the hungry maw of Jabu-Jabu. 

"I thought we were supposed to feed the FISH to Jabu-Jabu, not ourselves!" Kage shouted, as he and Link were swept straight into the fish's mouth.

When Kage next opened his eyes, he saw that they had ended up somewhere that had light.

"Link? You all right?" Kage asked, as he slowly got into a sitting position.

"Yeah, I think so. Where do you think we are?" Link asked, as he rubbed the side of his head.

"I think we're in the fish's stomach. I wonder where Mizuu and Navi are?" Kage said, now worried when he didn't see his guardian sprite anywhere.

"Let's start walking, maybe we'll find them deeper inside of this thing's belly." Link suggested, as he stood up and led the way. Kage silently agreed and followed Link deeper into the fish's innards, not knowing what they were going to find next. As they walked, they had to clear their path several times of the uvula that lined the fish's stomach wall. As they walked even further, Link had to quell the rising panic that was starting to set in. He had not seen hide nor hair of the two sprites anywhere and he was starting to get very worried about Navi's well being. As much as he was her responsibility, he felt it was his responsibility to make sure that no harm befell her. He felt certain that Kage felt the same way about Mizuu, even though they didn't get along all the time. When they came to a room with holes in the floor (Kage nearly fell into one of them before he noticed) they noticed that two familiar balls of light now hovered over a young Zora girl.

"Hey!" Kage shouted, excitedly.

"Kage! Link!" the two sprites shouted, gleefully, as the two Kokiri rushed over to them.

"Boy, am I glad to see you!" Link said, as Navi snuggled against his face, then went and playfully tugged on his ear.

"I'm glad to see you too, Link! Sorry to have worried you! Mizuu and I got swept farther in than you two did. That was how we met up with Princess Ruto." Navi explained, turning to the shy Zora girl. 

"That's Princess Ruto?! All right! This quest is almost over! Now all we have to do is get out of this giant mackerel and we'll be able to start searching for the final Spiritual Stone!" Kage whooped, happily, but then sobered when Link shook his head.

"It's not going to be as simple as that, Kage. We may have gotten in here without incident, but that doesn't mean that we will be able to get out without a struggle. Our first priority right now is to get Princess Ruto out of here, safely. Then, after we are out of here, can we start searching for the Spiritual Stone of Water." Link said, speaking with wisdom that was beyond his years. Ruto was looking very closely at him, she knew that this boy was more than what he appeared to be on the outside. His friend, though excitable, also had a special aura around him that she couldn't ignore. She had no knowledge of the legends of the heroes, but these boys, who had come to rescue her, were something very special indeed.

"I know of a path that might lead out." Ruto said, very quietly. The two boys immediately turned their attention to her. 

"Then why didn't you try to use it?" Kage asked, making sure to keep his voice as calm as possible.

"I was too afraid to try it without someone else with me. There's a giant octopus down there somewhere. I hear him pass under this chute every now and then." Ruto said, with a bit of fear in her eyes.

"Don't worry. We're here with you now. We'll protect you." Link promised, trying to reassure the fearful princess. Ruto bit her lip and nodded, then took a deep breath and jumped down the chute that led to the path she'd mentioned. 

"Let's go." Link said, as he jumped after her. Kage reluctantly followed, not liking the idea that he was rescuing a 'damsel in distress'. Ruto was waiting anxiously for them at the bottom of the chute, her purple eyes showing her emotions clearly. Link made a perfect landing coming out of the chute……….Kage, on the other hand, landed on Link.

"Ah! Kage!" Link shouted, as the other Kokiri landed on top of him, knocking the wind out of him. Ruto and the two fairies stood stock still for a moment, surprised by what had happened, then they burst into giggles, as the two flustered boys pulled themselves to their feet. 

"Very funny." Kage grumbled, as he dusted himself off and stood up. 

"At least it wasn't us that you'd landed on, Kage!" Navi chirped, as Link caught his breath and scowled at Kage.

"The least you could have done was warned me, Kage!" Link said, somewhat angrily.

"Well excuse me! You said for me to follow you, remember?" Kage retaliated.

"But I didn't mean exactly right after I had started down the chute! And you could have called out while you were on your way down that you were coming!" Link argued.

"And thus they prove, once again, that they are still only children after all." Mizuu said, as the two boys argued and settled their differences between themselves (at least for the time being). Then, without warning, a rock impacted into Link's shoulder with a loud crack, forcing an outcry of pain from him.

"Link!" Kage yelped, their argument quite forgotten. Link grimaced and held his right shoulder, that of which was cut and bleeding heavily. 

"An Octorok! Those things spit rocks at people that get too close to their territories! C'mon! We must find some cover from it!" Ruto shouted, as the squid-like creature spat another rock at them, this one deflected harmlessly with Kage's Deku Shield. Following Ruto's lead, they ran for a small alcove that was free of anything that would harm them. 

"Let me see your shoulder, Link." Kage said, as he reached into his pack (their metal shields were still in King Zora's Domain) and brought out some bandages. Link winced as he removed his pack, shield, and swordbelt, and pulled down the top half of his tunic so Kage could see to the wound. Kage himself winced when he saw what he was dealing with. The wound was small, but deep, and was surrounded by a black and purple bruise that was even painful to look at. 

"I'm sorry, Link. If I hadn't been so loud, this wouldn't have happened." Kage said, gloomily, as he washed out the wound with some water from his canteen. Link gasped in pain and shook his head.

"It wasn't your fault, Kage. I was wrong to yell at you. It's in the past now, and there is nothing we can do about that." Link replied, wanting to get the point across that all was forgiven about what had happened just moments earlier. Ruto was amazed by how strong their friendship was and how much the two must have been through before arriving in her kingdom to come to her rescue. She wished she had had friends like that.

"Do you have any salve to put in the wound so it won't get infected?" Navi asked, as she alighted on top of Link's head. Kage shook his head.

"I know of something that will keep the wound from festering long enough till we get out of here." Ruto said, also feeling a little guilty about what had happened to Link. Without waiting for them to start asking, she took a little bit of some sea moss, put some in her mouth, chewed it, then applied it to Link's wound. 

"Agh!" Link cried, as a burning sensation went through the wound. 

"Now bind it firmly with the bandages. The burning sensation will abate once the wound is wrapped up." Ruto directed. Kage did as he was told and wrapped the shoulder firmly in the bandages. After he had finished, Kage sat back and watched and Link pulled his tunic back up and tentatively put his belongings back on his back.

"Well? How does it feel?" Navi asked, watching as Link tested his injured limb. His face lit up with astonishment.

"It feels like I was never injured! How'd you know how to do that, Princess?!" Link asked, completely amazed. Ruto blushed and smiled shyly at him.

"I used to watch the healers do it when I was smaller. The elder healer in my father's court taught me how to do that." Ruto said, happy that she was able to help him.

"You'd make a great healer, Princess Ruto." Link said, apparently pleased with the way his arm felt. Ruto merely smiled and blushed.

"Father would never allow that. He's very protective of me; sometimes a little overprotective. Ever since Mother died he's been like that. But, what can I say? I am the Crown Princess. By the way, why are you two after the Spiritual Stones?" Ruto said, out of curiosity. 

"We're on a quest to save Hyrule from an approaching evil. Kage and I left our homes in the Kokiri Forest in order to find out where we fit in with destiny. The three stones are the keys to helping us find out. We have already gathered the Forest and Fire stones, all we need now is the Water stone." Link said, as Kage cautiously looked out of the alcove to see if the Octorok had gone. 

"All clear!" Kage whispered, motioning for them to move. With extreme caution, they all moved out of their safe haven and looked around. Indeed, the Octorok was nowhere to be seen. As they walked along, Kage noticed one of the stones on the ground looked a lot like the kind that were spat at them by the Octorok earlier. He also noticed that Link now eyed them with a look of disdain on his face. Octoroks were now officially on Link's non-favorite animals' list. The atmosphere inside of the giant fish was strange to the three youths and the two guardian sprites. There were levitating platforms everywhere! As they navigated the twisting halls and corridors of the fish's belly, they wondered if they were ever going to find their way out. Finally they came upon a room that had two treasure chests inside.

"Now what? More stuff to carry?" Kage asked, in such an exasperated manner that Ruto just had to laugh. Ruto patted Kage's head sympathetically, as Link moved towards one of the chests and tested the lock. 

"It's rusted. I can't unlock it." Link said, as he rubbed his rust covered hands on his tunic, not really worried about keeping clean, since it already had bloodstains on it. 

"Let me try something." Ruto said, as she flared out the fins on her arms, took a running start at the chests, then made a sweeping movement with her arms as she ran past. At first it looked as though nothing had happened to the locks, then, a split second later, they fell away, neatly sliced in two. Kage and Link looked in complete astonishment at the Zora Princess, who just grinned at them, innocently. 

"Princess Ruto, Healer and Locksmith." Kage muttered, as he walked over to his chest, shaking his head as he went. Ruto smiled in satisfaction. It wasn't often that she got to impress someone by just being herself. She could tell that the two boys were starting to ease up around her. They were starting to consider her to be one of them, just an average child that was on an above average journey through life. She enjoyed their company. Kage was constantly bickering with Mizuu about something or other, but it was all in fun, since he was trying to get his own mind off of being lost in the innards of a giant fish. Link was calm and cool-headed, and he was always asking her if she was all right or if she was getting tired. Once he even offered to carry her; she considered it, then thought better of it when she thought of the wound on his shoulder. 

"No thanks. I think I'll keep on walking. Besides, it would be best to keep as much weight off of that shoulder as you can, for the time being. When we get back to my father's court, I'll have the elder healer take care of your wound. Okay?" Ruto asked, hoping that the young warrior wasn't offended. Instead he looked a little relieved. 

"Okay. Thank you, Princess." Link said, as he ruefully rubbed his shoulder. With little effort, the two chests were opened, and what they found within were not what they were expecting at all.

"What the heck is this?" Kage asked, as he picked up what appeared to be an oddly bent stick from the bottom of the chest. 

"It looks like a boomerang. Throw it and see what happens." Mizuu suggested, as Link, Navi, and Ruto stood back. Kage did as he was suggested and threw the boomerang. It soared a little ways away from him, then turned back and narrowly missed hitting his head.

"Whoa!" Kage yelped, ducking as the boomerang sailed over his head and crashed into a wall. 

"You'd better learn how to control that thing before you decide to use it in battle, Kage." Navi said, getting a scowl from the Kokiri while she was at it. After spending a little time in the room where they had found the boomerangs, they started walking again, only to find, to their dismay, that they had ended up where they had started.

"We're back……………….in the room with the holes…………….This isn't fair." Kage whined, frustrated that they had gone all that way just to end up where they had started. 

"Nothing in life is fair, Kage. But there is something different about this room….." Mizuu said, as she flitted over to where a tentacle blocked one of the holes.

"That tentacle! I didn't see that before!" Link yelped, as he went over and inspected the thing, careful not to touch it with his hands, lest it was attached to something that would strike back.

"Try destroying it. Maybe that will open up a way to get out." Navi suggested, backing up as Link unsheathed his sword. Using the new sword technique that the Great Fairy of Power had shown him, Link made short work of the tentacle. 

"The way's clear. Let's get movin'. " Link said, as he led the way down the chute. This time Kage waited until he was sure that Link and Ruto had reached the bottom, then he started down. This time there was no pile up. As they went through a doorway, Ruto noticed that there was a blue light emanating from somewhere. She turned and looked; and there was the very thing the two boys had come to the Zora Kingdom for: the Spiritual Stone of Water! 

"Link! Kage! Look! It's the Stone of Water! I found it!" Ruto shouted, excitedly. This immediately got the two boys' attention and they watched as Ruto retrieved it for them.

"Yeah! All right, Princess! Are you sure that you're not a legendary hero like us?" Kage asked, with one of his cheerful grins. Ruto giggled and shook her head.

"Can't be. I'm a Princess, remember?" Ruto said, pleased that she had been able to help them in their quest. 

"Oh, yeah. Eheh." Kage replied, with an embarrassed laugh. Then, suddenly, the floor started shaking beneath them.

"What the………………?!" Kage yelped, as he fell on his backside, unable to keep his balance as the floor heaved out from under him. Link and Ruto were having the same problem. Then, to their horror, a huge octopus appeared. 

"That has got to be what I'd heard earlier!" Ruto murmured, frozen with fear. The octopus growled a watery growl, then struck out at them with its huge tentacles. Link and Kage leaped to avoid getting hit, but Ruto remained rooted to the spot, too afraid to move. 

"Princess! Move!" Kage shouted, as he picked her up and carried her out of striking range of the giant octopus. Ruto clung to him as he moved her, stunned that he had cared that much to move her out of harm's way. 

"Thank you, Kage." Ruto murmured, as he set her down. 

"Don't mention it. You stay here while Link and I make sushi out of this thing." Kage said, before going back to help Link (who had already started fighting the huge beast). With the courage of those who were more than half their age, Kage and Link moved quickly to avoid attacks and deal crippling blows to the octopus. Ruto watched from a safe distance, cheering the two boys on as they fought. With a yell, Kage finished the monster off and looked back at Ruto, signaling that it was now safe to continue on. As they took the floating platform up, they noticed that they could feel some fresh air coming in from somewhere.

"The way out must be somewhere nearby. I can smell fresh air from here." Link said, as he cautiously made his way into another room. 

"So do I. We must be close. I can't wait to see sunlight again." Kage said, with a note of relief in his voice. Link and Ruto agreed, as they moved through the room. Then something alerted Link that there was another monster nearby. 

"Everyone! There's something in this room!" Link shouted, as he unsheathed his sword and prepared himself for another fight. A low, watery laugh was heard as the three youths stood warily looking around as something moved in the shadows.

"You children have done well, to actually make it to my lair, but this is as far as you will go! You may have defeated Bigocto, but you will find that it will be harder to defeat me! Now die!" the voice snarled, as its owner emerged from the shadows and shot a stunning bolt of electricity at the youths. With a yell, the group leaped to avoid getting hit with the lightning bolt.

"Whoa! I'll bet this fish is having a terrible case of indigestion right about now! What the heck is this thing, anyway?!" Kage asked, as he, Ruto, Link, Mizuu and Navi all ducked behind some rocks in order to avoid the monster's attacks.

"I think it is a monster called Barinade. I had heard mention of him several times in my father's court. He's a dangerous menace to my people and used to patrol the waters in the diving area. But then he found a way into the fountain and Jabu-Jabu had the misfortune to swallow him and now we're stuck with this dilemma as to how to destroy this thing." Ruto said, as she peeked over the edge of the rocks to look at the monster, quickly ducking back down when another bolt was fired at her. 

"We? You mean you want to help fight this thing, Princess? How do you propose on doing that?" Kage asked, catching the 'we're' in her statement.

"I can stun him using your boomerang and then you two can hit him with your swords when he is stunned. Besides, it'll be much easier on you if we work together, right?" Ruto said, with a smile.

"All right. So long as you stay over here where you can duck down if he fires another bolt at you." Link said, as he tentatively started moving out from behind the rocks. 

"Right. I'll give you the signal when I'm about to throw, then you move in after he's down, got it?" Ruto asked.

"Got it." Kage whispered, unsheathing his sword as he started to approach the big jellyfish. When they were about halfway there, Ruto let out a low whistle, signaling that she was about to throw. Kage and Link ducked just as the boomerang soared past, watching as it hit it's intended target and head back to the thrower. 

"Good shot, Ruto!" Kage shouted, forgetting formality and dashing into battle behind Link. With fierceness that was only attributed to older warriors, Kage and Link fought against their foe, with a little help from a friend. Ruto was proving to be a brave friend as she supported them from the sidelines, her skill with the boomerang proving invaluable as the two warriors fought for their lives. With little more than a groan, Barinade fell, proving that he was no match for the tenacity of the young heroes and princess. 

"Way to go, you three! You did it!" Mizuu and Navi cheered, as Barinade died and the three childish warriors regrouped. 

"That was great, Princess Ruto! Not only are you a healer and locksmith, you're a warrior too!" Kage said, with a grin. Ruto merely smiled in satisfaction.

"Listen to the boy who can't stand girls!" Mizuu muttered so only Navi and Link could hear.

"What was that, Mizuu?" Kage asked, giving his fairy a deadly look.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." Mizuu replied, casually.

"I hate it when you say that, Mizuu. I know you said something." Kage grumbled, as his friends laughed at him. Then a loud rumbling sound suddenly shook them out of their argument. 

"Oh no! Don't tell me that there is yet another monster to face!" Ruto shouted, over the noise.

"No, I think it is something else entirely." Navi said, matter-of-factly.

"What is that, Navi?" Link asked.

"I think this fish is about to throw up." Navi replied, simply. The three youths all looked at one another, exchanged a grossed out look, then let out a yell. They were soon running as fast as they possibly could for the mouth of the fish. Just as they reached the mouth, the fish retched and they were spewed out of the fish along with the rest of the fish's lunch. 

"AW!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS DISGUSTING! I'M COVERED IN FISH VOMIT!!!!!" Kage shouted, at the tops of his lungs, while Ruto and Link both covered their ears. 

"Ruto!! My daughter!" King Zora shouted, as he ran on spindly legs and caught his slightly bedraggled daughter into his arms and tearfully hugged her. 

"Father, Father!" Ruto cried, as though suddenly realizing that she was really and truly home. Link and Kage watched the tearful reunion with smiles on their faces. In some ways, this result was more worth it than the Water Stone. 

"Thank you so much for your help! How could I ever repay you?" King Zora asked.

"You could let them take the Sapphire, Father." Ruto suggested. The king appeared to think it over for a moment, then nodded his fish-like head vigorously. 

"Yes! I will permit them to take the Sapphire! It is what they originally came for, after all! But they had better take good care of it." King Zora said, as he gently set Ruto back on her feet.

"We will, sire. Now, before we leave, may I ask you something?" Link asked, as he stood up from where he'd landed, wincing somewhat because of his sore shoulder.

"Go right ahead. What is on your mind?" Zora asked.

"Do you have a place where Kage and I can get cleaned up and get my shoulder tended to?" Link asked, as he eyed his ruined tunic with an air of disgust.

"Oh! Certainly! Come this way, I have some healers here that will fix that shoulder right up, sure enough!" Zora said, as he led Link and Kage out of the fountain area, leaving it so the cleaning crew could get started. After they had been cleaned up and Link's shoulder had been fully healed by the elder healer, they were ready to be on their way. The good-byes were painful for the two Kokiri and their royal friend. 

"Be careful on your way back to Hyrule Castle. Things are getting so much worse." Princess Ruto said, tearfully, as she hugged Kage and then Link. 

"I know. We'll be as careful as we can, Princess. Take care of yourself." Link said. 

"I will. Come back and visit us someday." Ruto sniffled.

"Don't worry. We'll be back soon. Then you'll have to think of a way to get rid of us, ne?" Kage said, with one of his usual grins. Ruto smiled tearfully back at him. 

"Yes. Good bye and good luck to you both." Ruto replied, as the two boys bowed and started walking away. The trek back to Hyrule Castle was much harder this time, as the landscape around them revealed the fact that the evil presence was close to, if not in, the vicinity. As Link and Kage neared the castle, the drawbridge lowered, striking the ground with an ear-splitting clang and a lone rider on horseback galloped across as the two boys watched. 

"Link! Kage!" Zelda cried as the rider rode past them, tossing something to them, but having it miss and land with a splash in the moat. The rider and the princess were shortly thereafter swallowed up by the darkness of the encroaching night. Then the sound of hoof-beats was heard again, as a second rider rode across the bridge. But this rider wasn't a soldier of Hyrule; he had the same frightening presence of the darkness that threatened to send Hyrule into an endless night. The huge rider paused when he saw the two boys standing there and looked down at them. Kage shuddered as the man's eyes scrutinized him; the eyes were like coals that had fallen out of a campfire. 

"Which way did they go?" the man asked, his voice deep and snarling. Link and Kage refused to answer.

"I asked you a question. Which way did they go?" the man asked again, quickly becoming angry. Still no reply. All he gets is the silence of two young boys. With a snarl, the man unleashed a powerful spell on them. Kage barely even had time to blink before terrible pain tore through him, taking his breath away. He could hear Link screaming in pain, but the sound itself sounded far away, as though miles and miles of empty land separated them. Before blacking out, Kage saw the face of the man and knew exactly who he was. He was Ganondorf, the King of the Gerudo.

Chapter Four: Darkness Rising

"………age! Kage!" 

Kage grimaced. His whole body hurt. He could hear Link calling for him, but he sounded so far away. With a moan, Kage opened his eyes and saw the worried faces of Link, Malon, her father Talon and even Ingo. 

"Wha' happened?" Kage asked, wincing because his throat was so dry.

"You got hit by one helluva spell, kid. I personally don't see how you could have survived a direct hit from that kind of magic." Ingo said, getting an unreadable look from his brother while he was at it.

"How do you feel, son?" Talon asked, as he passed a huge, callused hand over the youth's forehead.

"I feel like a Wolfos has bitten me in half, to tell you the truth." Kage replied, then looked at Link. Link looked extremely tired, but otherwise none the worse for wear.

"How long was I out?" Kage asked, as he settled back on the pillows. 

"About two days. To be honest, I didn't think you two were going to survive. I saw everything happen from a distance. I saw the man hit you with some magic and watched you both fall into the moat. After the man had left, I started to come after you, but, for once, Talon was one step ahead of me. He retrieved you from the moat, then went back and got something else from the bottom of the moat too." Ingo said, as Talon brought in a satchel and set it on the bed in front of Kage. Carefully Link cut the cord that tied the satchel closed with the tip of his sword and reached in.

"Well? What is it?" Malon asked, peering curiously over his shoulder.

"Ocarinas. We've got some new ocarinas." Link replied, sounding somewhat dumbfounded.

"Oh no……………….." Kage moaned and fell back on his pillow. 

"Oh yes. But these aren't any ordinary ocarinas, Link, Kage. These are the Ocarina of Time and the Ocarina of Memories. Time belongs to Link and Memories goes to Kage." Zelda's voice said, as a ghostly image of Zelda appeared in their midst. 

"Princess Zelda!" Ingo, Talon and Malon murmured, as they bowed before the image. Zelda regarded them, then turned her attention back to Link and Kage.

"But isn't one ocarina apiece enough, Princess? What's so special about these?" Kage asked, as he turned his new ocarina over in his hands and gave her an exasperated look. 

"Those ocarinas are the keys to the Temple of Time, along with the three Spiritual Stones. They play a major part in your destinies, so don't let them fall into the wrong hands. Now, you must learn another song; and I don't want to hear any more lip from you, Kage. This song is called the Song of Time. Listen closely." Zelda said, as she lifted her own ocarina to her lips and played the song for them. After a few minutes, Link and Kage were playing the tune perfectly.

"Now, that tune is for the when you reach the altar in the Temple of Time. It will allow you to assume the roles of the legendary heroes and protect the Triforce from Ganondorf. I must leave now, but please, be careful." Zelda said, as she faded out, having fulfilled her purpose for being there.

"We might as well leave and go find this Temple of Time. Does anyone have any idea to where this temple could be?" Link asked, as he and Kage (who had their now dry tunics on) pulled on their boots and grabbed their belongings. 

"I'd always heard tell that the Temple of Time was within the castle, somewhere. Ganondorf, or whoever it was that had attacked you, should be far away from the castle by now, if he is chasing the Princess. It should be safe enough to go back there and see." Talon said, stroking his mustache in thought.

"It is worth a try. If we don't return in a week, assume the worst." Link said, as he and Kage walked out of the house.

"Thanks for your help, everyone. I hope that this isn't the last goodbye." Kage said, somberly. With that said, the two youths started on the two-day walk to Hyrule Castle, retracing their footsteps from their very first journey outside of Kokiri Forest. This time they were more cautious than that first trip. They had come a very long way since then. They now knew who their enemy was, and that he had tremendous power on his side. As they approached the castle, they could tell that it was pretty much empty, by the absence of soldiers and sentries on top of the walls or near the gate. Using the same method they had used before, they scaled the wall and found their way into the castle courtyard. 

"Now where to?" Kage asked, looking befuddled.

"There's a crawlspace over here that is big enough for you two to crawl through, one at a time." Navi suggested.

"What's at the end of it?" Link asked, as he and Kage followed the two fairies to the space and looked into it.

"Another Great Fairy Cave. Let's go in and see what this fairy has to offer us." Mizuu offered, as she led the way. After some disagreement as to who was going first, Link and Kage finally emerged into the cave. This time Kage was the one who played Zelda's Lullaby and summoned the Great Fairy.

"Well, well! Lookit this! I actually have visitors! Have you come to learn Din's Fire from me?" the Fairy asked, airily, surprising the two boys with her cheerful air.

"H-hai. I guess." Kage said.

"Good! Just one thing you must promise me." The Fairy said, her tone turning serious.

"What is it, Great Fairy?" Link asked.

"No matter how mad you two get at each other, please don't use this on one another. I do not want to be held responsible if you two suddenly decide that you want to barbecue one another. Okay?" the Great Fairy asked.

"Can't guarantee you on that one, Great Fairy, but we'll do our best to prevent any fights." Navi said.

"Okay. That promise will have to do. Here goes." The Fairy said, as she started teaching the two youths how to use the living flames to their advantage. After awhile, Link had it down to an art; Kage, on the other hand, nearly fried the Great Fairy before she decided that they had had enough practice and could be safely sent on their way. 

"Oh, by the way, the Great Fairy of Power said hello and that she was sorry that she hasn't visited you in so long." Kage said, before turning going out the way they had come. 

"Thank you for telling me! Now I shall have to visit her; truly I shall!" the Great Fairy said, cheerfully as the two boys went off to find the Temple of Time. After a while, they finally came to and entered the Temple of Time. Kage shuddered as he entered, sensing that something was about to happen that wasn't going to be very good. The ancient temple had an air of mystery about it as they entered the place where an altar stood.

"This must be the altar Princess Zelda had mentioned. Well, let's fulfill our destiny, Kage." Link said, his heart pounding in his chest as he approached the altar. Kage nodded and took out his new ocarina and put it to his lips, waiting for Link to start. As Link started playing, and as Kage accompanied his playing, the three Spiritual Stones floated out of their bag and fit solidly into places allotted for them on the altar. Both boys watched in amazement as a brilliant light came from the altar, then from a room just adjacent to it.

"There's something in there." Link murmured, entranced. Kage muttered an agreement and followed Link into the room. There, in the center of the room, stood two pedestals. On each was a sword. 

"The Pedestals of Time and Memories! With the Master Sword and Sword of Reflections! So the legends are true!" Mizuu murmured, as she watched the two boys approach the pedestals and reverently lift their respective blades from their resting places.

"Ah, so you have found the Sacred Realm! I really must congratulate you two. I never would have thought that you would have made it this far! But your luck ends here! Thank you for leading me to the Sacred Realm, heroes!" Ganondorf cackled, as he once again unleashed his magic on the two hapless boys. Mizuu and Navi were blown back by the fierceness of the evil magic, and could only watch in horror as their charges were lifted bodily into the air, and could only listen as they screamed in agony, then fell lifeless to the floor. Leaving the two boys for dead, Ganondorf took the power that had filled the room the moment the boys had entered, then left the two fairies to mourn. 

"Kage! Kage! Please! Wake up! WAKE UP! KAGE!! NO!!!!!" Mizuu screamed, in anguish, as she floated over the still form of her charge.

"Link……………I failed him, Great Deku Tree………………..I failed him." Navi sobbed, as she gently brushed some strands of hair from Link's face.

"Not so, little fairy. They may not appear to be alive, but they breathe still." A man said, as he entered the room. 

"Then why won't they wake up? Why do they just lie there like they are dead?" Mizuu asked, tearfully, as the man gently lifted the two lifeless boys into his arms. 

"Ganondorf has placed a powerful spell on them. These two will not speak to you again until seven years have passed. Then and only then will they awaken, and continue on their quest to save Hyrule." The man said, as he carried them out of the Temple of Time, and teleported to the Temple of Light.

"But, who are you? How do you know if Link and Kage will awaken in seven years?" Navi asked.

"How do I know? I am Rauru, the Sage of Light. Don't worry. They will awaken, I promise." The man said, with a kindly smile.

"Then we will remain by their sides until they do awaken. We are, after all, their guardian sprites." Mizuu said.

"And guard them, we shall." Navi said, resolutely.

"Be it so." Rauru said, as he laid the two boys on individual cots inside the Temple of Light's living area and watched as the two fairies settled in for the long wait.

**__**

Seven years later…………….

Rauru sighed as he looked out at the outside world. Hyrule had deteriorated greatly since the heroes' fateful run-in with Ganondorf in the Temple of Time. 

"_They have grown up a lot since then, but they don't realize it since they have been asleep all this time. It is time._" Rauru thought, as he went back into the living area where the two heroes lay. They no longer looked like the two children that had entered the temple; they were now young men. During their long repose, Rauru had had to change their clothes, since they had long outgrown their old tunics, and now they even had other garments on as well. 

"Is it time, Rauru-san?" Navi asked, anxiously. The Sage of Light nodded.

"I will awaken them one at a time, since they might both panic if they are awakened together." Rauru said, as he gently waved his staff over the sleeping Link and concentrated. After a moment, Link began to stir. His eyelashes fluttered for the first time in seven years, then the eyes themselves opened. Navi held her breath as Link slowly started to really wake up. 

"Where am I? What happened?" Link asked, his voice sounding somewhat deeper than Navi remembered it being. 

"_Of course, you baka! He's older now! Of course his voice is deeper!_" Navi scolded herself for her stupidity. It was apparent that Link had just noticed the same thing, for now he had a look of horror on his now handsome face.

"Link?" Navi asked, noticing the almost terrified expression on the young man's face. 

"Navi…………..? What has happened to me? Why…………….? Why…………..?" Link trailed off, trying to get his fear under control.

"Calm down, young man. I will explain everything to you, after I awaken your friend." Rauru said, as he held his staff over Kage. Link watched as Kage started rousing up, and noticed that he too had changed. 

"Wha' happened?" Kage asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Kage." Link muttered.

"Eh? Link, is that……………………What the…………………….?!?!" Kage yelped, backpedaling away from Link and ramming his head into the wall above his bed.

"Ow." Kage muttered, holding his now aching head in his hands. Rauru merely gave the two fairies his 'I told you so' look.

"You all right, Kage?" Link asked.

"I guess so. What happened to us? Why're we…………….? Why the @#$% am I wearing tights?!" Kage yelped, when he saw what he thought were tights.

"Oi…………..these boys……………..they're hopeless." Mizuu muttered, in exasperation. Even Link looked a little exasperated with Kage's outburst. With a sigh, Link forced himself to his feet, surprised when his legs didn't topple out from under him.

"I kept your bodies from weakening while you slept. If it hadn't been for the power of this temple, you and your friend would have wasted away a long time ago. Now, come, I have much I need to discuss with you." Rauru said, as he walked out of the room. Link and Kage were quick to follow. 

"Wait a minute! You still haven't told us who you are, nor have you explained how we got here or how long we have been 'asleep'!" Link said, wanting answers. 

"I am Rauru, the Sage of Light. I carried you and your friend here after Ganondorf attacked you. You and Kage have been absent from Hyrule for seven years. There. I have answered all of your questions. Are you therefor satisfied with my answers?" Rauru asked, his patience starting to wear thin. The two young men nodded, in stunned silence. 

"Good. Now, I must explain what your objective is now." Rauru said, as he handed them their packs, those of which were filled with fresh food and had their old belongings still in them and their new swords. Something fell away from Kage's pack and into his hand. 

"Eh? What's that, Kage?" Mizuu asked, looking over his shoulder as he gazed at the object.

"It's a shell. Princess Ruto probably wanted us to have something to remember her by and she gave us this before we left." Kage said, sadly. 

"We can only hope that she is all right, after all this time. Besides, we did promise that we would see her again. Maybe, if our journeys take us by there, we'll go visit the Zora Kingdom and see how she is doing." Link said, trying to sound as encouraging as he could. 

"That is a strong possibility, Hero of Time. For, you see, you and the Hero of Memories need to go and seek out the Sage's Medallions in order to combat the evil Ganondorf had released into Hyrule. Here is the first of the Medallions. This is the Medallion of Light. Guard it well, young heroes." Rauru said, as the two heroes walked out of the temple, with their fairies following close behind them. As Link emerged into the open air, he was met by the oppressive presence of evil. Kage shuddered as he came in contact with the evil presence.

"I see that you have awakened, legendary heroes." A man's voice said, from nearby. Link and Kage were swift in drawing their swords. They knew that anything or anyone was a potential enemy now. 

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Link demanded, unnerved by how suddenly they had been seen exiting the temple. Slowly, a shadowy figure appeared. He appeared to be male, with blond hair and had garnet colored eyes. His skin, or what they could see of it that wasn't hidden by the scarf he wore around his face, was golden brown. 

"He's a Sheikah! Link, this guy's a Sheikah!" Kage said, in utter amazement.

"How can you tell, Kage?" Link asked, as the stranger approached, with cat-like silence.

"Look at his chest! His uniform has the crest of the Sheikah emblazoned on it!" Kage said, keeping his voice low so he wouldn't offend the Sheikah.

"Your assumptions are correct, shadow elf. I am a Sheikah. I am known as Sheik." The stranger said, not looking in the least bit offended, but, instead, amused by Kage's expression. 

"So, why are you here? Aren't the Sheikah supposed to stay near Princess Zelda? Or is Zelda dead?" Link asked. Sheik looked stunned by his straightforwardness, but then regained his composure.

"No. The Princess is still very much alive, but she is now held captive by Ganondorf." Sheik replied, calmly, then noticed that Kage was rolling his eyes and could tell what he must have been thinking.

"So we're gonna have to do the whole 'damsel in distress' thing again. Please don't tell me that she has been swallowed by Ganondorf, I don't think I can handle that." Kage said, speaking his mind about the whole thing. Link chuckled at his friend's remark, while Sheik just stood there and blinked, not knowing what to think about that.

"It's a long story, Sheik, just bear with them, okay?" Navi asked, slightly embarrassed by the memory of the giant fish. 

"I will take your word for it. Now, back to the business at hand. Has Rauru briefed you on what you are to go after on this quest?" Sheik asked.

"He said something about the Sage's Medallions and he gave us the Medallion of Light, telling us to go and find the rest. How could we do that if we don't even know where to look?" Kage asked.

"I will tell you. There is one deep in the forest, high on a mountaintop, in a vast, deep lake, in a house of the dead, and in the goddess of the sands………." Sheik said, then suddenly disappeared. It happened so quickly that Link and Kage didn't even have time to react. 

"Where'd he go?!" Link yelped, startled by the sudden disappearance. 

"Beats me. He sure is a shady character, isn't he?" Kage asked, remarkably calm, despite what had just happened.

"Yeah. Let's go find those medallions, before something else happens." Link said, as he started leading the way. The winding path that led away from the Temple of Light led, more or less, straight to Kakariko Village. Or what remained of it. The gate that had once barred the way between Death Mountain and Hyrule was completely obliterated. Houses and shops stood vacant, and their once bustling streets were silent, save for the footsteps of the two travelers that now traveled through. The wind moaned as it went through the deserted town, sounding almost as though it could feel the pain of the place as it passed. 

"This is horrible……….and Ganondorf did all this?!" Kage said, his eyes wide with horror. 

"Apparently. He must have come through here on his way to Hyrule Castle." Link said, as he and Kage gazed at the awful sight, finally understanding the reason they had been called out of their simple lifestyles and into the roles of heroes. Then a slight movement caught Kage's eye and he turned and looked at the graveyard. 

"What is it, Kage?" Navi asked, noticing that Kage's attention had shifted. 

"I thought I saw someone in the graveyard just now." Kage said, as Link and Mizuu turned their attention to the graveyard as well. 

"We might as well see who it is. That person might know what happened to this place and how it happened." Link said, as he and Kage walked that way. They got there just as the lone figure was walking out of the cemetery. Link almost instantly recognized who it was.

"Impa?! Is that you?!" Link asked, when he'd seen the woman's face.

"Who…………..?! Link? Kage? Is that really you?" Impa asked, her expression going from startled to pleased within seconds of recognizing them. 

"Yep. In the flesh!" Kage said, with a grin.

"If not a little bit bigger than the last time you saw us." Link muttered, giving Kage one of his unreadable looks. 

"It is certainly good to see you two again, even though you have changed. Her Royal Highness would certainly be pleased with the way you look." Impa said, amused when both of the young men blushed and when their fairies giggled at their reactions.

"Where is the princess and why aren't you by her side?" Kage asked, when he'd gotten his composure. Impa's expression changed again to an almost mournful look.

"When we left the castle that night, seven years ago, I tried to head for the western border, to where a clan of Sheikah lived. Ganondorf got there before us and slaughtered everyone in the village. He was waiting for us in the blood bathed main street of the village. I tried to fend him off, but I wasn't strong enough. I was badly beaten and left for dead in the street. The reason why I am here today is that I am paying my last respects to King Harkinian. He died a prisoner in Ganondorf's dungeon." Impa said, solemnly. Link and Kage were too shocked to say anything. The true king, King Harkinian, was dead. That only meant that Ganondorf now ruled over the land spreading his darkness all around. 

"This is horrible. Don't worry, Impa. We'll beat Ganondorf and free Princess Zelda. You have our word on that." Link said, speaking for himself and Kage. Impa nodded, silently, then took out her ocarina. The two heroes took that to be a sign that she wanted to teach them another song and took out their ocarinas. 

"The song I am about to teach you is called the Song of Storms. It will prove it's worth later on. This is about all I can do for you at the moment." Impa said, getting a unanimous nod of understanding from the two heroes. Within moments, the two young men had mastered the tune and were on their way again, despite trying to get Impa to travel with them. They traveled north, in the direction of Hyrule Castle, hoping that they could find something, anything, that would help them find the medallions. It was dusk by the time they reached Lon Lon Ranch. 

"Well? Now what? Why're you stopping?" Navi asked, after nearly running into the back of Link's head.

"Something's not right. Kage, get your ocarina out. We need to play the Sun's Song." Link said, as Kage picked up of the disturbing feel of the ranch. 

"Okay." Kage agreed. With that said. They both started playing. On cue, the sun rose and they saw Ingo coming out of the rancher in the middle. 

"Ingo!" Link shouted, startling the bow-legged man.

"What the…………?! Link?! Kage?!? Is that you? Where the %$#^ have you been?!" Ingo asked, as he hurried over to them. 

"We can't tell you that, Ingo. What has happened here? Where is Malon and Talon? There is a heavy, oppressive aura around this place that wasn't here seven years ago. What happened here, Ingo?" Link asked, suspicious by Ingo's sudden show of concern for them, and how he instantly recognized them. Ingo knew the jig was up and showed it when his whole demeanor darkened.

"You want to know what happened? Well, I will tell you! I am now in charge of Lon Lon Ranch! Ganondorf placed me in charge after you two disappeared! I made a deal with him so the ranch would not be destroyed!" Ingo said, triumphantly.

"Then you made a deal with the very devil himself, Ingo." Kage said, grimly, then grabbed Ingo by the shirt collar and growled, "If anything bad has happened to Malon, then you will be the first to taste the cold steel of the Sword of Reflections! Do you hear me?" 

Link stared in stunned silence at his usually mild-mannered friend. He was usually very laid back and complaining about everything. This Kage was very strange to him. Ingo swallowed hard.

"She's inside the corral with some horses! I swear, she is! Go and see for yourself!" Ingo said, losing his smug expression very quickly when he heard the death threat and pointing towards the rear corrals and paddocks. 

"She had better be there, or I will keep my promise, Ingo." Kage snarled, releasing Ingo from his grasp and leading the way in the direction that Ingo had indicated. After walking for a few minutes, Link approached his friend about his sudden change of emotion.

"Kage? You all right?" Link asked, unsure whether his friend was rational again or not. 

"Yeah, I'm fine, Link. Sorry I got angry like that." Kage said, guiltily, as they approached the gate of one of the corrals and looked in.

"It's all right, Kage. I didn't know you cared that much about Malon, that's all." Link said, when they reached a corral where a young woman was training some yearlings.

"Malon!" Kage shouted, when he saw that the woman was too busy to notice them standing there. With a start, the young woman looked at them, her flaming red hair dancing away from her face like flames. 

"Who are you? What do you want?" Malon asked, her emerald eyes getting a touch of fear in them.

"Malon, it's us! You know, Kage and Link? Surely you remember us!" Kage said, desperately, hoping she would recognize them. With hesitant steps, Malon approached them, uncertain of who they were until she got a better look. Then, after a moment, it sank in and her eyes brightened with recognition. 

"Kage! Link! Oh thank the gods!" Malon said, as she tearfully came out of the corral and hugged the two young men. 

"Malon…………….." Kage said, gently.

"I thought you two were dead! It's been so long since you left and never returned! I knew Ganondorf was lying when he told us that you were dead! You are, after all, the legendary heroes!" Malon said, as she wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her right hand. 

"By the way, how are Epona and Ryuuhi doing?" Link asked, remembering the little foal he'd befriended seven years ago.

"They're just fine! In fact, would you two like to see how they have grown up?" Malon asked, her countenance brightening considerably. 

"Sure! Let's go see how our old friends are doing." Kage said, sounding much like his old self again. With Malon leading the way, they all went to a pasture where some horses were kept until it was time for their new owners to pick them up. 

"Now, play my mother's song. They will still respond to that." Malon said, when they had gotten to the gate. Link and Kage did as they were told and got their ocarinas out. No sooner did they play the song all the way through did they hear the thundering of hooves on the grassy ground. With loud neighs, Epona and Ryuuhi skidded to a stop in front of them and stuck their heads over the fence.

"Ryuuhi! Long time no see, buddy!" Kage said, cheerfully, as he patted the black horse's neck. The proud stallion snorted as though in agreement and stamped one forefoot, as though to say 'where in blazes have YOU been?'. Link laughed as Epona happily nuzzled him in the chest. 

"They sure are happy to see you two." Malon said, with a gentle smile.

"They seem to be. Boy, if we had these two traveling with us, it would make all of our traveling so much easier!" Kage said, as he scratched the place behind Ryuuhi's ears.

"Do you two even know how to ride a horse?" Malon asked.

"Erm…………..No. But we could learn. Right, Link?" Kage asked, turning to his blond haired friend for an agreement.

"I guess so. No time like the present to find out. Let's get them saddled." Link said, as he and Malon turned to go and get some saddles for the two horses. Kage remained at the fence and talked to Ryuuhi, wanting to make sure that the horse knew who he was and what his voice sounded like. When Malon and Link returned with the saddles, Kage was sitting on the fence and telling the two horses about their previous adventures, not including their run-in with Jabu-Jabu's vomit. The horses looked intelligently at him and allowed their ears to convey their expressions.

"Telling them about our run-in with Jabu-Jabu, Kage?" Link asked, with some amusement in his tone.

"Yup. What better way to pass the time while waiting for you two to retrieve the saddles?" Kage asked, as he jumped down from the fence and entered the corral with them. Instantly, without being told to stay still in one place, Epona and Ryuuhi froze and stood ready, while Malon showed Link and Kage how to saddle them. After that, Link and Kage settled themselves into the saddles for the first time. Applying pressure to their flanks by squeezing their heels into them, Link and Kage got the two horses to start moving. Epona neighed eagerly and took off at a gallop. At first Link was a bit startled, then he regained his balance and bent forward over the horse's graceful neck like a professional jockey. Not to be outdone by the red mare, Ryuuhi tossed his head and took off after them. 

"Yeehaw!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kage whooped, excitedly, enjoying the feel of the wind whipping around him. Soon the two men were racing all over the pasture, startling some of the other horses, who had been grazing until that point. Malon laughed when the two nearly collided into one another as they rounded a bend and as they both cast a scowl in one another's directions. 

"They ride well, even though it is just their first time riding." Ingo said, as he stood by Malon and watched the two young men race around, having the time of their lives. 

"They do. I can only hope that they will win those horses from you. I'd hate to see them slaughtered and fed to that bastard pig Ganondorf." Malon replied, bitterly, as the two men came in from their wild ride. Ingo said nothing as the two men dismounted and stood next to their steeds, those of whom hadn't even broken a sweat from the arduous activity. 

"Y'know, if you really want those horses, you will have to race me and win." Ingo said, slyly, knowing that he had all kinds of tricks he could use in order to cheat. Link looked directly at him for a moment, then at Malon. Malon was pale-faced and trembling; she knew that if they didn't win, the horses would die. She also knew that if they raced against Ingo, they would be subject to Ingo's tricks and could possibly get killed while doing just that. 

"We'll race. Where is the starting line?" Link asked, much to Malon's horror.

"Come this way and I will show you." Ingo said, with a devilish smile that even made Link shudder. They walked with their horses to a fenced in racetrack where a stable hand stood waiting with a gray mare. Link could tell that the racetrack really wasn't suited for racing horses; the fences were in bad repair and in need of some new boards. Two inch long daggers of wood stuck out from some of the old boards that had evidently been bashed into before by previous racer. When they had lined up at the starting line and Ingo had mounted his steed, they waited for the signal to start. 

"Go!" the stable hand shouted, lowering a piece of white cloth as he said so. With a tremendous burst, the three riders were off. Link tried keeping to the inside, as Kage passed Ingo on the outside. He let out a startled yell when Ingo started forcing him farther into the inside, right near the wood chunks that stuck out from the fence. He gave Ingo a look of consternation, only to receive a fiendish smile in return. With a forceful move, Ingo rammed his horse into Epona. Link cried out in pain as one chunk of wood stabbed his thigh and came away stuck in his flesh. Blood gushed from the deep wound as he pulled the chunk out and tossed it aside, gritting his teeth and pushing ahead, despite the pain. With a tremendous burst of speed, Epona pulled ahead of Ingo and came racing neck and neck with Ryuuhi. They crossed the finish line together. Link felt as though he was going to faint from the intense pain in his leg, but stayed put as he and Kage were challenged to another race. 

"Uncle Ingo! Link can't race with his leg like that! At least let him……………………!" Malon objected, then caught the deadly glare Ingo now cast at her. She fell silent, but could tell that Link was starting to show signs of blood loss from his untended wound. Kage looked worriedly at his friend as they lined up for the second race. As before, the stable hand started the race. Almost feeling nauseated by the pain in his leg, Link, with some difficulty, managed to get and stay ahead of Ingo and make it to the end of the race. 

"Okay, okay! You can keep the &^%$#ing horses! But you won't leave here with them!" Ingo shouted, suddenly pulling a lever and trapping the two riders within the confines of a huge fence. 

"We've gotta get out of here, Link! C'mon, buddy! Hang in there for a little while longer!" Kage shouted. Link nodded, as they both got their horses building up enough speed in order to jump the high fence. Ingo and Malon looked up just in time to see the two horses and their riders soar over the fence.

"You did it! All right! Now the horses are yours!" Malon shouted, joyfully. Her joy, however, was short-lived, for, as soon as Epona had landed back onto solid ground, Link toppled from his saddle into the arms of the stable hand.

"Link!!" Kage and Malon yelped at the same time, and they rushed over to his side. Link grimaced in pain and put a hand to his still heavily bleeding leg. 

"Uncle Ingo! Please! Get some of the milk that is inside the house!" Malon ordered, getting a nod from Ingo before he ran back to the house. 

"What good will milk do, Malon?! Can't you see that what Link really needs is a healer?!" Kage asked, as Link groaned when Malon applied pressure to the wound. 

"Lon Lon's milk is known to have special healing properties. If I can get him to drink a little bit of it, it should stop the bleeding and get the wound to heal over." Malon said, as Ingo returned with the milk, and with Talon trailing along behind him. As gently as she could, Malon propped Link into a sitting position and put the glass of milk to his lips. Coming around a little bit, Link gingerly took a sip of the milk. 

"Come on, Link. Drink a little bit more. It'll help with your wound." Malon said, not certain whether or not Link could hear her. To her surprise, Link did as he was told, and took another sip of the milk. Kage watched in amazement as a greenish glow settled over the deep gash in Link's leg and healed the wound. 

"Whoa." Kage murmured, as the wound healed right before his eyes. Malon smiled at him.

"Told you so." Malon said, as Link sat up and inspected his leg.

"How do you feel, Link?" Kage asked, as Link got to his feet.

"It's like I was never wounded. We'll have to remember this. We might need some more of that milk in the future. Right, Kage?" Link asked, with a grin.

"Yep." Kage replied, simply, with his trademark grin. Within a few hours, the two young men were ready to leave the ranch with their new steeds. 

"See you around, everybody!" Kage said, turning around in his saddle to wave at Malon, Talon, and Ingo.

"Hope so! Don't be gone so long this time, you hear?" Malon called, as they rode off.

"We won't! We'll be back before you know it!" Link said, before turning and riding away.

"You'd better keep your promise, you two." Malon said, softly, as the two figures disappeared into the distance.

Chapter Five: Dark Indwelling

It took Link and Kage about two days to reach their destination. They had decided against going to the castle and were now heading back to where their adventures first began: the Kokiri Forest and Lost Woods. They left the horses near the forest's edge, confident that their trusty steeds would come when called. As they entered the Kokiri Village, the villagers all turned and gaped in astonishment as two familiar looking strangers walked into their midst. 

"Hold it! You two intruders stop right where you are!" Mido's voice demanded, as Mido himself stepped up to them, sword and shield at the ready. Link and Kage looked at one another. They were not really counting on Mido recognizing them since they had grown up.

"He doesn't recognize us, Link." Kage muttered, with a grin, knowing that it drove Mido crazy when anyone spoke so low that he couldn't hear them. 

"How should I recognize you? I've never even seen you before!" Mido shouted, furiously.

"Maybe this will jog your memory." Link said, whipping out his ocarina and playing Saria's Song. Kage joined his ocarina's sound to Link's and they played the whole song through for the Kokiri.

"Waitaminute! That's Saria's Song you just played! Then that means……..You're Link and Kage!" Mido yelped, as the realization sank in.

"Yep. Back from the outside world, if only for a little while. Where is Saria, by the way?" Kage asked, as he looked around for their friend. Mido's countenance fell.

"She's in the Sacred Forest Meadow. Been there since Ganondorf came through seven years ago. He recognized her as the Sage of the Forest and locked her away. The only way we can tell if she's still alive is when she plays her song on her ocarina." Mido said, sadly.

"We'll free her, don't worry about that." Kage said, as he and Link started heading for the Lost Woods.

"Be careful in there! There's Moblins hanging around!" Mido shouted at the retreating backs of the two heroes.

"Gee, Mido, didn't even know you cared! Thanks for the warning!" Link shouted back, much to Mido's frustration.

"Hey! Who said I cared about the likes of you?! Misfit!" Mido shouted, angrily, then sat down in a huff. 

As carefully as they could, Kage and Link both moved quietly into the Lost Woods. They couldn't see the Moblins, but they could certainly smell them. 

"It's so much darker in here than it was last time." Kage murmured, feeling the same oppressive atmosphere that they had felt when they emerged from the Temple of Light. 

"That's all Ganondorf's doing. He set all kinds of evil loose here. It's now up to us to set the record straight again." Link said, grimly, as he looked at the Master Sword's blade. Silently he wondered how much harder it would have been if he hadn't had his best friend by his side. Even though Kage did complain a lot and argue with his guardian sprite most of the time when he was younger, he was still his partner. They had both been at the brunt of Mido's cruel jokes, got vomited up by a giant fish, and so many other good memories. If Kage hadn't been there when he'd needed help, where would he be now? Link shook those thoughts from his head and continued onward, motioning for Kage and the two fairies to follow as he went. 

"Yuck………Moblins smell worse than Jabu's vomit…….." Kage grumbled, as he peeked around a corner at the dog-like creatures.

"These guys can't be hurt from the front, Link. You've gotta sneak up on them when their backs are turned." Navi said, wisely.

"Good point. Take a look at the weapons they're carrying! They have us filleted before we could even get one good blow in!" Kage said, eyeing the monsters' six-foot-long spears warily. They got their chance to attack when the Moblin turned around. With deadly aim, Kage and Link fired their hookshots at the beast. The stricken Moblin fell without so much as a whimper.

"Let's find Saria and go. I don't like the feel of these woods at all." Mizuu said, as the two heroes carefully stepped over the carcass of the Moblin and continued on their way. A few paths and several Moblins later, they arrived in the Sacred Forest Meadow. They were shocked by what they saw. The once lush, green meadow had been reduced to nothing more than a field of dead grass and stubble from what they could only surmise to have been a fire.

"Saria! Saria, where are you?" Kage asked, as fear began to edge its way into his voice, when he saw that there was no sign of the Forest Sage.

"She is not here, Hero of Memories." Came a different, yet familiar, voice.

"Sheik!" Link and Kage yelped at the same time. The Sheikah nodded, solemnly, as he stepped out of the shadows.

"How and when did you get here, Sheik?" Link asked, wondering how Sheik could have gotten past the Moblins without attracting unwanted attention.

"I have my methods, Hero of Time. There is something I must tell you…and there is something more that I need to teach you. So listen carefully." Sheik said, grimly. Link and Kage nodded, understanding the weight of their mission. 

"The flow of time can be extremely cruel. It flows differently for each person and yet there is nothing that can be done to change it. It continues to flow on, whether you are with it or not. Now, take out your ocarinas, there is yet another melody that you need to learn." Sheik said, as he brought out a golden harp and started playing the tune he desired to teach the two heroes. Link and Kage paid the utmost attention to Sheik as he played, then they tried the tune. By now, the two young men were very adept at playing the ocarina and could almost pick out any tune from any source. When they had finished mastering the tune, Sheik looked at them with a serious look in his ruby eyes (when is he not serious?).

"That tune you have just learned was the Minuet of Forest. It will come in handy when you are trapped somewhere. It will instantly transport you back here. Farewell for now, Heroes." Sheik said, before disappearing in a puff of smoke. 

"I don't think I will ever understand that guy." Kage muttered, shaking his head, in exasperation.

"I know what you mean, Kage. He's even more mysterious than Impa, if that feat in itself were possible." Link said, as he started walking towards a path that he'd never seen before.

"Navi, what's at the end of this path?" Link asked, looking up at the sprite as she hovered over him.

"This path leads to the Forest Temple. That might be where Saria is being held." Navi replied.

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go!" Kage said, enthusiastically, leading the way down the path. Link shrugged at the two fairies then followed his friend. They stopped when they reached a high ledge.

"Now how do we get up there?" Kage asked.

"Simple." Link said, pulling out his trusty hookshot and aiming at a tree branch that was a good three feet above the ledge.

"You're pretty smart for a blond." Kage said, getting his first dirty look from Link since seven years ago.

"Don't start, Kage." Link grumbled, as he used the hookshot to get up onto the ledge.

"If looks could kill! Whew!" Mizuu said, flying up before she too received a dirty look. When they had all gotten to the top of the ledge, they could see that two Wolfos guarded the entrance to the temple.

"Not again." Kage moaned, remembering their last run-in with the beasts. Taking a beast apiece, Link and Kage moved quickly to avoid the sharp claws and teeth. This time, they got out of the battle unscathed, a fact that Kage was pleased to see and feel. 

"Let's hurry, Saria could be in real danger in there." Link said, as he wiped the Master Sword off on a cloth (a rag of what used to be his old tunic), but kept it unsheathed in case something else attacked him. As they entered, Kage noticed that a treasure chest sat unopened just to their left. 

"Hey, Link, what do you think could be in this thing?" Kage asked, as he tested the lock and found that it was stuck.

"I don't know. Go ahead and open it, but be quick about it. There's something in here." Link said, keeping a close eye on the path in front of them, ready for anything.

"Here, Link! Catch!" Kage called, tossing something small over to him.

"What's this, Kage? A key?" Link asked, as he eyed the small gold key that now rested in the palm of his hand. 

"Yep. It was the only thing in there. Let's go. Saria's waitin' on us." Kage said, as he pushed forward. With a thoughtful nod, Link pocketed the key and followed after his friend. As they passed from room to room, the two heroes became aware of the different entities that called the temple home. They didn't belong at all.

"This place just keeps getting creepier. Was this caused by Ganondorf's spread of evil in this kingdom?" Kage asked, when they'd entered a room and four ghosts flew off in different directions at their approach. 

"Had to have been. I think this evil presence is what killed the Deku Tree seven years ago." Link replied, as they continued their trek through the temple. After they had climbed a staircase and destroyed what appeared to be a bubble, they entered a hall with a blue block, barring their way.

"Great. Now what?" Kage grumbled.

"Looks like Ganondorf knew we would come through here at some point and blocked the way into the next chamber. Any suggestions on what to do now?" Link asked, turning to his comrades for guidance. 

"Why don't you try using the Song of Time? It opened the way to you before." Mizuu suggested, getting a shudder of revulsion from Kage.

"The last time we used that song we got put to sleep by Ganondorf. I would rather not have a repeat of that." Kage said.

"Who said that it would happen again? It's worth a shot!" Navi argued. To avoid anyone getting into a fight over the matter, Link raised the Ocarina of Time to his lips and started playing the Song of Time. To their amazement, the stone block cracked and crumbled into a fine powder.

"Whoa." Kage muttered, as Link walked forward, motioning for them to follow him. After they had gone through several more rooms, they all stopped in their tracks. Something was not right. 

"Get ready for a fight, Kage, there's something coming this way." Link whispered. He was right; there were three Stalfos heading straight for them. Seeing that it was too late for them to find a safe place to hide, they went ahead and charged hell for leather straight into the Stalfos. The startled skeletons barely even had enough time to act, before they were smashed to pieces by the two warriors. 

"Bein' grown up sure beats bein' small, ne, Link?" Kage asked, satisfactorily. 

"If you say so, Kage." Link said, somewhat agreeing with his friend. They both looked up when they heard the sound of stone grinding against stone. Once again, a door had been opened, and a couple of treasure chests revealed. 

"More stuff to carry? Great. Just marvelous!" Kage griped, as Link walked over and opened one of the chests.

"Well? What did you find in there, Link?" Navi asked, as she hovered over his shoulder.

"A bow and a quiver of arrows. These should be relatively easy to carry." Link said, as he slung the quiver over his shoulder. Kage did the same, feeling rather ashamed of himself for complaining about that. Once they had exited the room, Kage shuddered as a cold draft blew past him. 

"There's something near, Link. Something evil." Navi said, as they cautiously descended down some stairs. 

"I know, Navi, I can feel it too. And it's coming from those paintings." Link said, pinpointing the source of the evil he'd felt. Kage looked up at the huge paintings with a look of revulsion on his face. The paintings were of a beautiful young woman dressed in blue silk. 

"Her eyes are like ice." Kage said, as he started to back away from the portrait. 

"I know. I can feel that icy evil coming from those eyes. Any suggestions on what to do now?" Link asked, as he and Kage climbed another staircase to get a good shot at the portraits. 

"Do what you think you should do, Link! Think! Where could a ghost hide and be pretty safe until someone came along?" Navi asked.

"A painting! Of course! Kage! Fire your bow at the paintings in the next room! I'll handle this one!" Link shouted, as he readied his bow for firing. Even though he'd never used a bow before, Link's aim was true and the arrow struck the center of the painting and watched as it started burning. With the imminent destruction of the first painting, an eerie screaming came to their ears and the image of the young woman came out of the painting itself. Before the image could retreat into the painting next to it, Link fired off another arrow and destroyed it. As though angered by this, the screaming got louder as the image headed for the third and final painting. Taking a deep breath, Link fired an arrow at the remaining painting and watched as flames spread from the center of the canvas, destroying the portrait.

"You dare to destroy my paintings? Now you shall die!" the image said, with evil dripping from her voice. Link leaped to avoid ice daggers that fell from overhead, narrowly avoiding being impaled by the horrid creature. From what he could tell, Kage was now fighting another creature exactly like the one he was facing, for now he could hear Kage shouting obscenities and moving to avoid getting killed.

"I think you're the one who's gonna die, lady, again!" Link shouted, as he fired another arrow, this one aimed at the ghost's chest. The arrow found its mark, and the ghost screamed in agony as she burned up. On the other side of the room, a torch erupted in flames, shedding an eerie blue light over the room. In the room adjacent, Kage finished off his adversary, and yelped with surprise when the torch across from him ignited.

"Good work, Link!" Kage shouted, rejoining his friend, grinning from ear to ear as he said so.

"You didn't do half bad yourself, Kage." Link said, as he dusted himself off.

"It's not over yet, you two. We still have a few more of those things left, so be on your guard." Navi warned. 

"You sure know how to rain on a guy's parade, Navi." Kage muttered, giving the fairy the infamous flat-eyed look.

"Well, it is the truth, ya know." Navi rebuked, dodging Kage's hand as he swatted at her.

"That's enough, you two. Let's take care of those banshees, then you can fight amongst yourselves, okay?" Link said.

"Okay." Kage said, as he prepared to go deeper into the temple. Several hours and two Poe Sisters later, Link and Kage arrived at the base of a circular platform.

"Hookshot time." Kage said, with a grin.

"Yep." Link agreed, as he pulled the mentioned piece of equipment out of his pack. Within moments, they had scaled the platform and were standing on top of it.

"There's nothing up here…………………….?!" Kage said, but was prevented from saying anything more by the stone walls suddenly blocking off their path, trapping them.

"What the #@$% is going on?!" Mizuu shouted, as the ground shook underneath the two warriors, sending them sprawling.

"Everyone, look!" Link shouted, pointing at a glowing figure on horseback that was heading straight for them.

"Oh shit! It's Ganondorf!" Kage yelped, dodging as the horseman galloped past them. For a few moments, the two warriors panicked. This was almost a repeat of their first encounter with the evil Gerudo, but then they got their wits about them and faced the specter.

"It's his shadow! He's like the Poe Sisters! Hit the paintings! It'll force him to come out in physical form!" Sheik's voice shouted, from somewhere nearby.

"Thanks Sheik! Let's get this guy, even if he is a shadow!" Kage shouted, as he notched another arrow into his bow and took aim.

"Link! When Ganondorf's shadow comes out without his horse, Kage will hit him with an arrow and you take him out with the sword!" Navi said.

"Okay!" Link shouted, as he unsheathed the Master Sword and stood ready. With deadly accuracy, Kage fired several shots at the paintings, getting the same results as he had with the Poe Sisters' paintings. Finally, after taking so much abuse, the phantom appeared without his steed, in a form that Link and Kage could take out. 

"Hit him again, Kage!" Link shouted, as Ganon unsheathed his own sword and started advancing on him.

"I can't! I'm out of arrows! It'll take a few seconds for them to replenish!" Kage shouted, looking frantic as the demonic looking shadow got closer to Link. With a yell, Link charged at the phantom, only to get violently repulsed.

"LINK!!!" Kage yelped, watching helplessly as his friend hit a wall with the sickening sound of cracking bone.

"Link, are you all right?" Navi asked, as she fluttered over to him, as he slowly sat up.

"I……………….I think so………………….ugh……………." Link choked, shuddering in pain.

"Kage, you're on your own this time! Link's been too badly hurt to fight! It's up to you to get us out alive!" Mizuu shouted, watching helplessly as Link held a badly wounded left arm, trying to stem the gross bleeding that was coming from a gash in the limb. For a moment, Kage went numb. His friend had been badly hurt, he was on his own for the first time in this adventure. Then anger rose up within him. With a growl, Kage stood back up, unsheathed his sword, and charged at the phantom.

"Kage! Link's already tried that!" Mizuu shouted, then watched in amazement as Kage disappeared into the shadows.

"D-did you see that?!" Mizuu yelped, as she scanned the darkened recesses of the room for her charge.

"He's using his kind's ancient secret tactic. He's blending in with the shadows and using them to his advantage. Watch." Navi said, as something slashed the phantom from behind. Before long, the phantom was looking worse for wear. 

"This is for hurting Link!" Kage screamed, leaping in from nowhere and stabbing the phantom right in the chest. With a moan, the phantom crumbled into dust.

"All right, Kage! You did it!" Mizuu shouted, joyfully. Kage smiled, then went to his friend's side.

"Can you get up, Link?" Kage asked, as he tied off the blood flow from the wounded arm.

"Dunno……………I think so." Link said, weakly, as he struggled into a stand and leaned on his friend's shoulder. Before anything more could be said, they were surrounded by a blue light and transported into another chamber.

"Link! Kage!" a familiar voice shouted, joyfully.

"Saria!" the four battle weary travelers replied, in unison, as Saria gave the two warriors a hug.

"You don't know how glad I am to see that you're alive! I knew you were too tough to get killed by Ganondorf!" Saria declared, then noticed Link wince and sink to his knees.

"Saria, do you have any salve on you? Link got pretty badly banged up by the phantom Ganondorf." Kage said, with a worried look on his face.

"I don't have any salve, but I do have something that will work even better." Saria said, enigmatically, as she pulled out a green medallion.

"That's the Forest Medallion!" Navi said, as she watched Saria put it around the neck of Link. For a moment, nothing happened, then green light surrounded Link and sank into him. Kage watched in disbelief as the cut in Link's arm healed right before his eyes. When the light had faded completely, Link was standing there, looking completely at a loss for what had just happened. Saria giggled at the confused look on Link's face.

"That is the power of the Forest Amulet. Now you have only four more amulets to go. Good luck to you both." Saria said, with a proud smile.

"But what about you, Saria? Are you going to stay here?" Kage asked, as Link got back to his feet. 

"I'm going to go to the Temple of Light and join Rauru there. When I next see you two, you'll probably have all of the amulets by then. Farewell till then, brave heroes!" Saria said, as she played a song on her ocarina and disappeared without a trace.

"She's gone………….." Link murmured, then looked at the amulet that still hung around his neck.

"But at least she's safe. Let's go, we've got a long journey ahead of us." Kage said, as a passage opened to the outside and they both safely exited the temple.

Chapter Six: Life's Mysterious Flame

The trek back to the Temple of Time was long and difficult. The paths Link and Kage had used as children were no longer safe for them to use and they were forced to travel other paths for days at a time. When they finally reached the temple, it was dusk and they were exhausted.

"So you did make it out all right, I am relieved to see." A voice said, as Link and Kage led the two horses up and into the temple keep.

"Hello Sheik." Link said, as the Sheikah emerged from the shadows to greet them.

"Hello, Hero of Time. You seem to have fared well in your journey back here." Sheik said, quietly.

"Yes, but we're both exhausted. We need to rest before we go out to find the other amulets." Link said, as Kage started building a fire.

"Indeed you do. I will tell you what you need to know in the morning." Sheik said, about to disappear.

"Wait, Sheik." Kage said.

"Hn?" Sheik asked, pausing in mid-motion.

"Stay the night with us. It's too dangerous to go anywhere at night alone, even if you are a Sheikah." Kage said, with concern for the Sheikah in his ruby eyes. Sheik blinked in surprise, then slowly nodded. The silence that followed was a comfortable one, as the three men and two fairies thought about what was going on in Hyrule and possibly in the countries beyond.

"_Those two have no idea what's in store for them. The greatest battle of their lives is about to begin and they have no idea how hard it is going to be. I can only hope that they will be strong enough to defeat Ganondorf when the time comes._" Sheik thought, as he watched the two warriors slowly drift off to sleep, exhaustion taking over.

"You're not what you say you are, are you?" Navi asked, as she flitted over to where Sheik sat.

"I don't know what you mean." Sheik said, slightly unnerved by Navi's directness. 

"What I mean is this; this isn't your true form, is it?" Navi asked, seemingly determined to get a straight answer out of him. Sheik looked away from the fairy, obviously not going to say anything to her about who he was.

"I don't think he's going to tell you, Navi. Besides, he's not obligated to tell us anything about himself, since he's risking his life to help us find the medallions and such. Let's just leave him be. When he's ready to tell us who he really is, then he'll tell us. Until then, we leave him alone." Mizuu said, coming to the Sheikah's defense.

"_Thank you, Mizuu, I appreciate it._" Sheik thought, as he continued to watch over the slumbering warriors and occasionally stood to tend the fire.

Link awoke to Navi pulling on his ear to wake him up and Kage's snoring. 

"Okay, Navi, okay! I'm up! No need to pull on my ear!" Link said, as he came fully awake and threw his pillow (that of which was actually an extra tunic and a blanket rolled up and tucked under his head) at Kage to get him to stop snoring.

"Oof!" Kage said, then started muttering under his breath as he woke up.

"Morning sunshine!" Mizuu said, cheerfully, knowing that Kage hated when she did that. Kage merely gave her a dirty look before going off to find some water to splash on his face.

"Apparently you are not very well liked in the morning." Sheik said, as he stood up and stretched not unlike a cat in the motion. 

"I know, but he's not exactly what you'd call a morning person." Mizuu commented, as she flitted over and sat on top of Kage's pack.

"I'm surprised you stayed the whole night, Sheik. I halfway expected you to be long gone by now." Link said, when he'd realized that Sheik had remained with them.

"I haven't told you what I needed to tell you yet. That is the main reason why I yet remain with you." Sheik said, giving Kage the infamous moron look as he stalked back into the room, looking genuinely miffed.

"I take it you didn't find any water?" Mizuu asked.

"No, I didn't. The internal well is dry." Kage complained, grumpily.

"What do you expect, Kage? It hasn't rained in the entire time you and Link have been absent from Hyrule. Of course the well would be dry." Sheik said, getting a stunned expression from Kage and Link.

"You mean to say that it hasn't rained once since we went missing seven years ago?!" Kage yelped, his voice echoing in the vast room. Sheik's eyes turned grave and he nodded.

"This makes our mission even more urgent. Not only is Zelda's life at stake, the entire well being of Hyrule is in jeopardy. We must master every skill necessary to defeat Ganondorf and restore Hyrule to the beautiful, peaceful place it once was." Link said, seriously, the determined glint returning to his crystalline blue eyes. Kage nodded, then turned to Sheik.

"What is it that you had to tell us, Sheik?" Kage asked, his previous bad mood quite gone.

"There is a way for you two to use the power of your swords to travel back and forth in time. The secret lies in the pedestals where you found the Master Sword and the Sword of Reflections. With this power that you now hold, you can move seven years into the past, take care of things that were left undone in your childhood then return to this present time." Sheik said, as he faced the two heroes.

"You mean to say that we can travel through time, but we can't change what happened to us or to Hyrule? What good is a skill like that?" Kage asked, critically.

"It will matter, in the long run. Now, please get your ocarinas out, you have yet another tune to learn." Sheik said, as he pulled out his harp and started playing the tune he wanted them to learn. Finding that they had no choice, the two heroes did as they were told and got their ocarinas out, learning the tune with very little difficulty. 

"That tune is the Prelude of Light. You use that song to come back here when you need to. See you later." Sheik said, abruptly disappearing from view. 

"I hate it when he does that." Kage muttered, sneezing as some of the smoke tickled his nose.

"Maybe someday we'll figure out what's going on with him. C'mon, we've got a long trip ahead of us and we'd best be on our way." Link said, as he went about saddling Epona. Kage nodded and saddled Ryuuhi, while the two fairies watched from a distance. 

The trip back to Kakariko Village was just about as tough as the trip back to the Temple of Time. The entire time the two warriors were silent, the full weight of their mission beginning to appear on their countenances. 

"Where do we go next, Link? Where are we going?" Navi asked, as she settled down onto her charge's head.

"We're going to Death Mountain. I think that is where the next amulet is hidden." Link replied, as they went straight through the town and got onto the path leading to Goron City. Hours passed, and when they finally reached Goron City, they were shocked by what they saw. The entire city was empty!

"Hey! Where is everybody?!" Kage asked, his face paling when he saw the vacant streets and shops.

"I don't know. Let's find out." Link said, as he dismounted and led Epona to some shade. Kage did the same and they both followed the old red carpet to the entrance of the castle. Just as they were entering the castle, something rolled right at them. 

"Look out!" one of them shouted, before rolling past the two wary warriors and crashing into a wall.

"Told you not to roll at them." a voice said from behind the two warriors.

"Aw, shut up Link!" the first said, as he unrolled himself, revealing a young Goron.

"No!" the second voice argued.

"Did we miss something?" Kage asked, looking at his friend with a look of genuine confusion.

"Ne, sorry about that! We're the twin sons of King Darunia, Link and Kage! We were named after some heroes that came here seven years ago and beat Dodongo." Goron Link said, introducing himself and his brother. Link and Kage exchanged a glance, then Link decided to ask the two youths about what had happened to their father and kin.

"What happened here? Where is everybody?" Link asked. The two Goron children looked at one another, then Goron Kage looked up at him, with a look of fear in his dark eyes.

"They were all kidnapped and taken to the Fire Temple. Link and I were the only ones who escaped. I wish the heroes were here! They'd be able to free everyone!" Goron Kage said, looking truly afraid. Kage and Link looked at one another, then they offered the two children some comforting smiles.

"We are those selfsame heroes. I am Link, Hero of Time, and this is my best friend and sharer of destiny, Kage, the Hero of Memories." Link said. Immediately the two youths' faces lit up.

"You're the heroes?! Wow!" Goron Kage shouted, awestruck by meeting the two heroes he and his brother had been named after.

"Can you help us? Can you get our father back?" Goron Link asked, with hope in his eyes.

"We'll do what we can, I promise." Link replied, in all honesty.

"Thanks so much!" the two said, in unison.

"It's no problem, really. This is part of our destiny, after all." Kage said, with a grin.

"You'll need these if you're going to go to the Fire Temple." Goron Link said, as he handed two red tunics to the heroes.

"Well, what do you know? We'll actually have a wardrobe that doesn't consist of all green tunics!" Kage joked, getting a scathing look from Link while he was at it.

"Those are Goron Tunics. They'll prevent you from getting burned inside the Fire Temple. You can enter the through the Death Mountain Crater, but be careful, if you fall in the lava, the tunic will only last for a few minutes before burning off." Goron Link said, in warning.

"Okay. Thank you. Maybe someday you'll grow up to be heroes." Link said, as he and Kage walked into the throne room. 

"Ne, Kage, Link! Get over here! There's a lot of heat coming from behind this statue!" Navi said, as she motioned to the statue of a past Goron king.

"Good work, Navi! Now, let's get down there and rescue the Gorons!" Link said, getting a unanimous agreement from Kage and Mizuu. Putting all their strength into pushing the statue aside, they succeeded in opening a path to the volcano's crater. Goron Link and Goron Kage watched as their namesakes disappeared through the hole in the wall, hoping against hope that the two heroes would come out alive.

"Whew! It's hot in here! Let's get these new tunics on!" Kage said, as he put his pack down on a ledge far enough away from the lip of the volcano so it wouldn't ignite into flames.

"I couldn't agree with you more, Kage!" Link said, as he pulled on the red tunic and put the matching hat on in place of his Kokiri hat.

"I still can't see how you can wear those awful hats, Link. They are probably the worst fashion statements I have ever seen!" Kage said, with a look of disgust on his face.

"Well, it seems that you have made it. Good to see you both again." Sheik said, appearing from nowhere in front of the two warriors.

"Sheik! What're you doing here?!" Kage asked, surprised by the sudden reappearance of the Sheikah.

"I am here to teach you the tune you will need in order to get into the Temple of Fire. This tune is called the Bolero of Fire. I can only stay for a few minutes, since it's so unbearably hot down here." Sheik said, showing discomfort in the intense heat.

"Couldn't disagree with you there." Link said, as he and Kage pulled out their ocarinas. Sheik nodded, then pulled out his harp and started playing the tune he wanted to teach them. They quickly mastered the tune, and without a word, Sheik disappeared.

"The heat must have been too much for him. C'mon, we still have our mission to do." Link said, as he tucked his ocarina back into his tunic. Kage agreed and they both started looking for a way to get into the Fire Temple. After a few minutes, they finally found the closed off entrance.

"Let's use that new song Sheik had just taught us." Kage suggested, as he pulled out his ocarina and started playing. Link nodded, this time playing accompaniment for his friend. With the sound of cracking stone, the way cleared itself, revealing the path to the interior of the temple.

"And in we go." Link said, as he started leading the way. The path was uneven and sometimes the two warriors had to stop themselves from tripping and falling. After about an hour of walking, the two heroes reached a staircase.

"Stairs, hooray." Kage said, sarcastically, as they started ascending the stairs.

"Kage, is it your goal in life to complain about everything?" Mizuu asked, as she flitted in front of the Hero of Memories' face.

"Don't start, you two. We don't have any time for bickering amongst ourselves, people are counting on us." Link admonished, as they climbed. Kage gave Mizuu a dirty look before he resumed climbing.

"Link! Kage! Look over there!" Navi shouted, motioning to where a lone Goron sat.

"It's King Darunia! Hey! King Darunia!" Link shouted to the grizzled Goron king and running over to him, with Kage at his heels..

"Link? Kage?! Is that you?!? And to think I'd thought you both long dead!" Darunia said, as he enveloped the two heroes in a bone crushing bear hug.

"Oof………….glad to see you too, your Highness!" Kage gasped, before the king released them.

"I'm so glad to see you! Did you see my boys? Are they all right?" Darunia asked, with concern for his sons in his eyes.

"Those two are fine. They were the ones who sent us to come in and find you and free the Gorons." Link said, as he got his breath back.

"What happened your Highness? Who kidnapped your people?" Kage asked. The Goron King's face fell.

"A dragon named Volvagia was the one who rounded up my people and locked them away inside this temple. Please, I am begging you, please save my people and seal Volvagia away." Darunia said, with a beseeching look in his eyes.

"We'll do our best, your Highness. We'll have your people free before you can say Bolero of Fire!" Kage said, with a grin.

"I'm counting on you two. Good luck and keep safe." Darunia said, as the two heroes turned and left, heading towards the very innards of the temple.

After a little while, Kage stopped and listened. His sensitive ears were picking up on a faint moaning coming from somewhere.

"Hold up, Link, I think I can hear a Goron." Kage said, before Link could get too far ahead of him.

"Now that you mention it, Kage, so can I. It's coming from that ledge up there." Link said, pointing up at the ledge high above them.

"How are we going to get up there? We can't use the hookshot for this obstacle, the rocks above the ledge are too sheer for that." Kage said, assessing the situation carefully.

"Try using those platforms to get up there." Navi suggested, pointing out the slick looking platforms that led to the ledge.

"We could do that, but we are going to have to be careful. One wrong move and we could slip right off of those platforms and fall a good distance to the ground." Link said, as he approached one platform and hoisted himself onto it. Without much further ado, they started on their way across. Just as Link had said, the rocks were incredibly slippery and treacherous, and they both nearly lost their footing several times. Finally, they got across, none the worse for wear.

"Okay, now what?" Kage asked, panting from the exertion of crossing the platform 'bridge'.

"Well, you could let me out of here, ya know." The Goron said, from his place inside a cell.

"We're getting to that. Are you all right?" Link asked, as he caught his breath and walked over to the cell.

"I'm all right, but I am very concerned about my family. That switch over there will open the cell door and let me out." The Goron said, pointing at the switch to the two heroes.

"Gotcha covered." Kage said, as he pressed the switch and opened the cell door.

"Thank you so much, you two. Be careful on your way through this temple, some of the fissures of the volcano are right next to the walls and can become unstable. So watch yourselves as you are going through." The Goron warned, before turning and walking away.

"Thanks for the advice!" Kage said, as he and Link turned to go into another room that had opened up next to the cell. As they walked through, they were greeted by a blast of hot air, the heat of which nearly taking their breath away.

"It's hotter in here than it was in the crater! I'm glad that we have these tunics now!" Kage said, now fully appreciating the ruby red tunics they had gotten from Goron Link and Goron Kage.

"Let's try to spend as little time in here as we possibly can. Look, there's another door over that way, let's get to it and get out of here." Link wheezed, as the heat made breathing difficult. Kage nodded, wordlessly, knowing that if he talked too much in this room, he would probably pass out. When they finally reached the door and had gone through it, they sighed with relief as cooler air met them. But, to their dismay, the room was a dead end and only had a key sitting in the middle of it.

"I hate it when this kind of thing happens." Kage grumbled, as Link stooped to pick up the key and they both went back out into the blistering heat again. When they reached a blue block, they knew exactly what to do. They played the Song of Time and moved the heavy stone and used it as a stepping stone to get to the ledge above them. After they had freed the Goron and defeated the highly annoying creature called the Like-Like, they made their way to where another cell was. They quickly found that the door couldn't be opened by conventional way.

"Great. More problems." Kage complained.

"Stop complaining, Kage. It could have been worse, you know." Link said, tired of listening to his comrade complain.

"Yeah, we could still be in the Kokiri Forest, enduring more abuse from Mido!" Mizuu said, getting a look of disgust from Kage, and a chuckle from Link and Navi. Upon the direction of the two fairies, the two heroes found a way to open the cell door open and they freed the Goron with relatively little trouble (with the exception of Kage nearly getting his butt burned when he didn't move fast enough). 

"Ah, I see you have managed to free all of the Gorons from this area! Well, it will be even harder for you to escape from this place! I am Flare Dancer, and my specialty is serving fried heroes, extra crispy!" a feminine voice cackled, evilly, as its owner appeared before the two startled heroes. With a yell, the two heroes dodged a volley of flames from the Flare Dancer, narrowly avoiding getting burned.

"Navi! What do we do with this one?" Link asked, as he and Kage split up in an attempt to confuse the Dancer.

"Try using your Hookshots! They should knock her around a bit!" Navi suggested, ducking low when another blast of flames roared past.

"It's worth a try. Kage! Use your Hookshot on her!" Link shouted. Kage nodded and pulled out the mentioned piece of equipment. With desperation ruling them, the two fired their Hookshots at the Flare Dancer, knocking her to the ground.

"How dare you!" the Flare Dancer snarled, as she turned blue from the hits she had taken.

"She's halfway defeated! Hit her again!" Mizuu shouted, enthusiastically.

"Right!" Kage and Link said, in unison, sending their Hookshots whizzing at the Flare Dancer. 

"Watch out, Link, I'm gonna see if I can take her out with this bomb!" Kage shouted, before throwing the bomb at the Flare Dancer.

"Hit the deck!" Navi yelped, just a split second before the bomb hit its mark. All of them did just that, taking shelter behind some boulders. With a shriek the Flare Dancer exploded, leaving only smoldering ashes and a black mark on the floor to tell that there had been a Flare Dancer there only moments before.

"Good work, you two! Maybe Kage's not as dense as I thought he was!" Navi joked, getting a dirty look from Kage for her troubles. Link only rolled his eyes as Navi and Kage started arguing about who was dense and who wasn't. After Navi and Kage had finished yelling at one another, they continued pushing through the Fire Temple. As they reached the top of yet another flight of stairs, they found two chests.

"I wonder what's in these? Something more to carry, perhaps?" Kage asked, his voice laced with sarcasm. Link merely gave him a long-suffering look before turning his attention to unlocking the chests. 

"Can't you do anything other than complain, Kage?" Link asked, as he reached into his chest. 

"Yes!" Kage retorted.

"Sure doesn't sound like it." Link muttered, his voice slightly muffled as he reached deeper into the chest.

"What did you find, Link?" Navi asked, as she peeked over her charge's shoulder.

"It looks like some kind of hammer." Link said, as he stood back up, holding a silver hammer in his gloved hands.

"That's one of two Megaton Hammers! Any swing with that hammer spells certain doom for the enemy that attacks the owner of that hammer. That is a really lucky find!" Navi said, genuinely pleased with finding the weapon.

"That's all well and good, but that doesn't help us with our current situation." Kage said, motioning to a door that was blocked.

"Stand back, I intend to try this thing out." Link said, as he hoisted the hammer over his head. Kage did what he was told and watched as Link brought down the hammer onto the block. The rock exploded when the hammer impacted on it, spraying the two warriors and their fairies with a fine amount of dust.

"Whoa……….." Link said, dumbstruck.

"Good going, Link." Kage muttered, spitting dust out of his mouth as he said so. Link put a hand behind his head and grinned in embarrassment.

"I told ya'll to move." Link said, with a chuckle.

"But you didn't say how FAR to move back. By Din! That rock exploded like a bomb had hit it!" Kage swore, as he went through the door first. Link sheepishly looked at Navi and Mizuu, then followed Kage through the opening. Another opening and several Gorons later, they met with another Flare Dancer. This time they knew what to do, and they dispatched this one fairly quickly. As they went into another chamber, they found yet another Goron.

"Here's the switch, but it's rusted solid! We're both going to have to hit this thing with those hammers!" Kage said, after examining the switch that would open the cell door.

"Then let's try it, then. Navi, Mizuu, get back as far as you can." Link said, as he and Kage both raised their hammers above their heads. The two fairies did as they were told and got as far back as they could, so they could avoid an incident like the one that had happened just a short time before. With a loud, resounding 'clang' the two hammers struck the switch and the cell door squeaked open, allowing the Goron inside to go free.

"Now to find that dragon." Link said, grimly. Kage nodded in agreement. 

"The real fun's only getting started." Kage said, as he unsheathed his sword and the two of them went into the next chamber to face the dragon.

When they had entered the area where the dragon resided, a deep, rumbling voice caught their attention almost immediately.

"So, you have made it to my domain. You are to be commended. Not even the finest Goron warriors could get this far. Whom will I have the pleasure of killing this day?" the voice asked, as its monstrous owner appeared from out of the gloom.

"I am Link, the Hero of Time." Link replied, bravely.

"And I am Kage, the Hero of Memories. We're not the ones who are going to die, dragon, you are!" Kage stated, as the dragon's golden eyes analyzed them both.

"We shall see. Let's see how you fare against my flames!" the dragon snarled, spewing flames from its mouth at the two warriors. With yelps, the two warriors dodged the attack and looked to their fairies for advice.

"What should we do? What is the dragon's weakness?" Link asked, as he moved to avoid another attack.

"Try using your Megaton Hammers! That should stun the dragon long enough for you to hit it!" Navi shouted, flying quickly to avoid getting burned. Link nodded and pulled out his hammer. Kage followed suit. With battle cries, the two warriors leaped into the fray and brought the hammers down on the dragon's nose. Surprisingly, the dragon fell to the ground, stunned.

"Now! Hit it as many times as you can before it regains its senses!" Mizuu shouted, from the safety of an alcove. As quickly as they could, the two heroes hit the dragon, inflicting serious damage. Before they knew it, the dragon was dead.

"Good going, you two! You defeated Volvagia!" Navi cheered, as Link and Kage walked over to them. Then, suddenly, they were surrounded by red light and transported away. When they looked around again, they could tell that they were in another part of the temple.

"Well done, young heroes! You have done well!" Darunia said, surprising the two heroes.

"King Darunia!" Kage and Link said in unison. The Goron king smiled broadly at them. The two Hylians had come a long way since the days that they had first traveled to Goron City on foot. 

"Your Highness, are you the Sage of Fire?" Link asked.

"Yes, I am. You two have earned the right to carry this." Darunia said, as he handed them a ruby medallion.

"The Fire Medallion! Now we have Light, Forest, and Fire; that leaves Water, Spirit, and Shadow to retrieve!" Navi said, as the new Sage of Fire nodded, still smiling.

"We'll be watching your progress from afar, Hero of Time and Hero of Memories. Till we meet again, stay alive." Darunia said, before vanishing from sight.

"Three down, three to go. Where do we go next, Link?" Kage asked.

"The last place we were before returning to Hyrule Castle seven years ago; Zora's Domain." Link replied, as they made their way out of the Fire Temple, knowing that another part of their destiny was halfway lived out.

Chapter Seven: Into the Water's Reflection

The ride to Zora's Domain was as quiet as the one to Kakariko Village had been. Each member of the group was absorbed into his or her own thoughts as their horses plowed steadfastly onwards. Finally, Kage broke the silence.

"Hey, Link, do you think Princess Ruto will recognize us?" Kage asked. Link looked over at him with a look of surprise on his face.

"Well, she should. I don't think we've changed that much." Link replied, as they rode up to the place where the entrance into Zora's Domain was. As they dismounted from their horses, it suddenly occurred to Link how much this was like the first time they had ever visited this place. Without any hesitation on their part, they played Zelda's Lullaby and watched as the waterfall parted to reveal the path down into the watery domain. When a guard didn't confront them, it was then that they realized that something was horribly wrong.

"Come on, Kage! Something's not right about this!" Link said, as he broke off into a run, with Kage close behind him. What they saw at the end of the path was nothing more than horrifying. All of the Zora people were encased in solid ice, looks of fear and panic still marring their faces. 

"What in Din's name happened here?!" Kage asked, almost too shocked to speak.

"This was his doing, Kage. Ganondorf did this. Who knows how long these people have been like this." Link said, as he ran a hand over a block of ice that contained a mother and two children; the mother was curled around the children in an effort to protect them. 

"Ganondorf's going to pay for all the pain he's inflicted, I swear it!" Kage said, angrily, as he placed a hand on another block of ice, this one containing a soldier who was kneeled and appeared to be praying.

"Come on, there's nothing we can do for them, at the moment. Let's see if we can find any clues about the location of the next temple." Link said, as he started walking down the path that led to Zora's Fountain. When they had reached the fountain where Jabu-Jabu had taken up residence, they were shocked to discover that the giant fish was gone!

"This is bad, even the fish that had vomited us up is gone! What else is missing in this place, other than the fact that there is no life in here whatsoever?" Kage asked, as he looked out at the place where the giant fish had once been.

"Princess Ruto." Mizuu said, in response to Kage's question.

"Princess Ruto?! Are you saying that she'd somehow avoided the fate her people suffered?! But where is she now?" Kage asked.

"Let's go to the Water Temple and find out." Link said, as he started across the fountain on top of an ice floe. Not seeing any other alternatives, Kage followed Link across, careful not to make any sudden movements, for fear that he would fall into the freezing water.

"Where do you think this cavern leads?" Kage asked, as he glanced around at the shimmering ice.

"We're going to find out. C'mon." Link said, as he led the way into the cavern, his sword held at the ready. As they went deeper into the cavern, Kage and Link became acutely aware of the cold. Navi and Mizuu had both taken refuge under Link's hat in order to keep warm. Not a sound was made in the eerie cavern other than the crunching of ice underfoot. When they got to a thick ice sheet, they could see that there were more Zoras inside it than what there had been in the first two chambers of King Zora's domain.

"They must have been trying to evacuate to a safer area. They didn't even stand a chance." Link murmured, as he put a hand to the wall and looked somberly at the people within.

"They were trying to evacuate, but Ganondorf got to them first." Sheik said, suddenly appearing beside the two heroes and looking into the ice at the imprisoned Zoras.

"Sheik, how long have they been like this?" Kage asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

"They have been imprisoned since the day you and Link disappeared from Hyrule. After Ganondorf had finished with you two in the Temple of Time, he went to all of the kingdoms that had sworn allegiance to King Harkinian and imprisoned their peoples. Princess Ruto is now at the Water Temple. I must ask that you help me in rescuing her." Sheik said, quietly.

"Are you coming along with us, Sheik?" Navi asked, as she and Mizuu peeked out from under Link's hat. Sheik nodded.

"This time I will accompany you." Sheik replied, still looking at the trapped Zoras.

"Don't you think you will need a weapon, Sheik? This task is bound to get dangerous at some point." Kage said, concerned for the Sheikah's safety.

"I have a weapon, so there is no need for you to worry about my welfare." Sheik said, as he pulled a long, sharp scimitar from out of nowhere.

"I guess that means you are traveling with us, then." Mizuu said, from her spot of Link's head. Sheik nodded again.

"Yes. Before we leave from here, there is another tune I want you to learn." Sheik said, as he pulled his harp out. Knowing that they had yet another tune to learn, Link and Kage listened carefully. After they had gone through it a few times, Sheik put his harp away and looked at them.

"That was the Serenade of Water. With this tune, you will be able to warp to Lake Hylia whenever you want. Now, let's get going, Princess Ruto is waiting for us." Sheik said, as he started leading the way back to King Zora's chamber. Once they had gotten there, Sheik pulled out a small bottle that had some kind of blue light in it and sent it flying at King Zora, who sat frozen to his throne by red ice. Link and Kage watched in stunned silence as the ice melted and King Zora roused up from his long slumber.

"Huh? What? What's going on? How is it that I am alive?" Zora asked, looking about himself, confused.

"We came to free your people, your Highness." Link said, calmly.

"Link?! And Kage too?! It pleases me to see you both again! My, you have all but grown up on me!" Zora said, with a smile.

"Your Highness, may we have some Zora Tunics and some pairs of Iron Boots? We are going to need them where we are going." Sheik said, quietly.

"Certainly! You all freed me, after all." Zora said, as he waved his hand and three tunics with three pairs of boots appeared before them.

"Thank you, your Highness. Don't worry, we'll have your people freed in no time!" Kage said, as he, Link, and Sheik picked up their new items.

"I have faith in you three. Good luck, and be careful." King Zora said, as he watched the three bow, then take their leave.

"Sheik, stand between Kage and me, we're going to warp to Lake Hylia." Link said, as he and Kage got their ocarinas out. Sheik did as he was told and stood between them. in no time at all, they found themselves standing at the edge of the lake.

"Time to put on the tunics!" Navi said, as the three pulled the tunics on.

"Okay, I know what the Goron Tunic does, but what does the Zora Tunic do?" Kage asked, as he removed his Goron Tunic and exchanged it for the brilliant blue Zora Tunic.

"It will enable you to breathe underwater." Sheik replied, simply, as he pulled his Zora Tunic over his head, ever careful not to disturb the cloth wrapping around the lower part of his face.

"Let's get down there, the Water Temple awaits." Link said, as he lowered himself into the lake.

"No time like the present." Kage said, as he followed Link's example. Now only Sheik and the two fairies remained on shore.

"Aren't you two coming?" Sheik asked, when he noticed the two fairies lingering behind.

"We'll stay here and wait for you three. Good luck." Navi said, sounding dismayed at having to leave her charge's side. Sheik nodded, then lowered himself into the lake after Link and Kage.

Once on the bottom of the lake, Sheik could see that Kage was holding his breath.

"You can breathe, Hero of Memories, the Zora Tunic won't let you drown." Sheik said, shaking his head when Kage finally got the message and breathed in a huge gasp.

"See?" Sheik said, with an arched eyebrow.

"Aw, shut up." Kage snapped, irritably at the skeptical Sheikah. Link chuckled then looked around.

"Where's Navi and Mizuu?" Link asked, realizing that his fairy guardian wasn't there hovering over his head.

"They decided to wait on the lake shore for us. They should be all right up there." Sheik said, as he led the way to the temple entrance. When they finally came to the entrance, Link looked to Sheik for advice.

"The gate appears to be locked. Do you know how to unlock it?" Link asked.

"You both have Hookshots, am I right?" Sheik asked. Link and Kage nodded.

"Use them on the door. That should force it to open." Sheik said.

"The Hookshot, the tool with a million uses!" Kage joked, sounding not unlike a salesman just then. Link laughed, while Sheik just shook his head in exasperation. After hitting the door with their Hookshots, they made their way into the Water Temple. The first thing they noticed was the layout of the temple interior.

"Look at all the doors! I'd certainly hate to get lost in this place." Kage commented, as they followed Sheik through a corridor to where a deep pit was. 

"I take it that we have to go down there?" Link asked, as he looked down into the murky depths as far as he could.

"Yes. I believe that this is the place where Princess Ruto is being held." Sheik said, as he looked at the two heroes.

"Well, at least she wasn't swallowed by a giant fish this time around." Kage said, with a rueful smile, as the three of them descended into the darkness. Once on the bottom, Sheik led them into a passageway that had unlit, underwater torches in it. At the end, the saw a familiar figure manacled to the wall. It was Princess Ruto!

"Ruto!" Kage yelped, as he rushed over to her, with Link and Sheik on his heels.

"Kage? Is that you?" Ruto asked, weakly.

"Yeah! It's us! Hang on, we'll get you loose!" Kage said, as he started picking the locks to the manacles with a piece of an old knitting needle (where Kage had found such a thing, Link would never know). When Kage had gotten her arms and legs free, Ruto hugged her two friends, with tears in her eyes.

"I never lost hope. I never lost hope that you two were still alive. I knew Ganondorf was lying when he told my father, people and me that you were both dead. You two are so much stronger than that!" Ruto said, happy to have her friends back.

"Even though we didn't return when we'd said we would, we kept our promise. We returned." Kage said, almost sounding like he was on the verge of tears himself.

"Yes, you did. It feels good to be among friends again." Ruto said, as she looked at the three men in front of her.

"Now, to get out of here. Since it was so easy to get in, I don't have any doubt that it will be even harder to get out. We must be on our guard." Kage said, remembering what had happened in Jabu-Jabu's belly and applying that knowledge to this situation.

"You are right about that, Kage." Ruto said, as they all started walking. For several hours they wandered, running into Like-Likes and such until they ended up in a moor. Mists rising from the soggy ground gave the place an eerie feeling to it as they gingerly entered the area.

"What an eerie place." Kage said, as they marched through.

"It is indeed. We must remain alert at all times, so we don't end up losing one another in this fog." Sheik said, as he held his scimitar at the ready. 

"I think it's too late for that! Where is Kage?" Ruto asked. The three of them looked around, but there was no sign of Kage. He had suddenly disappeared!

"Kage! Kage, where are you?!" Link called, alarmed by his friend's disappearance.

"Link!" Kage shouted, his voice sounding like it was coming from far away.

"Kage, where are you? Can you tell us where you are?" Ruto asked, cupping her hands around her mouth and shouting that way so he could hear her.

"I can't really tell where I am, but there is something weird about this place! There's someone else here other than us! Someone dark and evil!" Kage shouted, his voice still sounding far away, but it was closer than before.

"Stay where you are, Kage, we're coming!" Sheik said, as he carefully led Ruto and Link in that direction. Within moments, they could see Kage. He looked somewhat shaken by the incident, but otherwise all right.

"How did you get separated from us, Kage? I thought you were right behind Sheik and Ruto!" Link said, letting his friend know that he had been worried about him.

"I don't know. One moment I am behind Sheik, the next, I am standing here. Link, this place has a strange power in it…………….." Kage trailed off as something came into view behind Link, Ruto, and Sheik.

"Look out!" Kage shouted, before the newcomer unleashed an attack on the four of them.

"What the……………….?!" Link yelped, leaping out of the way and turning around to face his opponent. What he saw froze the blood in his veins. There, right in front of him, was a carbon copy of Kage!

"_I can't tell which is which! One of them is Kage, I know that much. I can't strike either of them until I know who is who._" Link thought, as the shadow moved towards him, unsheathing a crimson sword while he was at it.

"Who or what are you?" Link asked, finally realizing that this wasn't his friend and comrade that was approaching him. The shadow sneered at him.

"I am you." The shadow said, his voice sending chills of revulsion down Link's spine.

"What do you mean by that?" Link asked, as Kage stood by his side, ready to fight.

"I am your shadow, brought to life by Ganondorf-sama. He placed me here so that I may kill you when you came to find the Water Medallion. My name is Dark Link. Prepare to die, Hero of Time!" the evil shadow said, before attacking Link with his sword.

"Keep your distance of that sword, Link! That sword is the Sword of Tears. It is a poisoned blade filled to the brim with evil!" Sheik shouted, as desperation mounted in the two heroes, Sheikah, and Zora Princess. With a yelp, the two heroes narrowly avoided a swipe from Dark Link's sword. 

"How do we avoid the sword and attack him at the same time? We obviously can't use our own swords!" Kage shouted, as he parried a blow from Dark Link before leaping to avoid the sword as it swung upward again.

"Try using your Megaton Hammers! Those are the weapons Dark Link won't have in his arsenal!" Sheik shouted, backing up when Dark Link got too close for his liking.

"It's worth a shot." Kage said, as he and Link got their hammers out and went after Dark Link. Dark Link barely had time to turn around before Link and Kage attacked with their Megaton Hammers. What happened next happened so fast that even Sheik could not keep up with what was going on. Kage and Link were so into knocking the daylights out of Dark Link that they finished him off in no time.

"Are you two finished?" Sheik asked, dryly. Panting heavily, Link and Kage could only nod in response to the question.

"Good. Now let's go." Sheik said, as he started leading the way out of the misty moor. After several hours of wandering, they came to a huge metal grate.

"Now what?" Kage asked, looking to Sheik for an answer.

"My guess is that we go up." Sheik said, matter-of-factly.

"I thought you knew what you were getting us into, Sheik." Kage said, crossly.

"I may be a Sheikah, Kage, but even a Sheikah can't be expected to know every little detail about the temples!" Sheik retorted, giving the obstinate shadow elf the infamous anime flat-eyed look.

"Well excuse me for assumin'!" Kage retaliated.

"Please, you two! We don't have time for this!" Ruto said, in exasperation. The two males shut their mouths, but Ruto could tell that they were continuing to argue by their eyes. Link merely rolled his eyes and started climbing. When he'd reached the top, he looked down. He wasn't in the least bit surprised to see Kage and Sheik still glaring at one another, but climbing up, with Ruto above them for precautionary measures in case she lost her grip on the rusty grate.

"_Kage can't go a day without arguing with at least one person!_" Link thought, in exasperation as Ruto carefully climbed up and Link pulled her up the rest of the way. When Kage and Sheik had caught up, Link was already in the next chamber, checking things out.

"What an odd chamber." Ruto commented, when they had all entered and gotten a good look at the chamber.

"It is, indeed." Sheik murmured, thoughtfully, his crimson eyes taking everything in.

"Something doesn't feel right. There's something in here." Kage said, feeling the same uneasiness that he'd had when Dark Link appeared steal over him again. Then Link let out a yell and leaped to avoid something that had just appeared in the corner of the room.

"Link! What is it?!" Ruto yelped, as Link ran back over to them, unsheathed his sword, and stood with his back to them, facing whatever it was that had startled him. With the sound of sodden shoes, a blob of gelatin made its way out of the darkened corner Link had been standing in just moments before.

"What the @#%$ is that thing?!" Kage yelped, as it moved into the center of the room.

"It's Morpha! If that thing gets a hold of you, it will throw you into those spikes that are lined up on the walls!" Ruto shouted, as she and Sheik moved to avoid the blob's tentacle. 

"How do we beat this thing?" Link asked, as he dodged the same tentacle.

"Try using the Hookshot against it when its nucleus is at the top! You might be able to inflict some damage then!" Ruto suggested, as Sheik slashed at the creature with his scimitar, trying unsuccessfully to ward off the creature. Link and Kage looked at one another and nodded. They both understood what to do and they would do their best to get themselves out of this predicament. With battle cries mingling with desperation, the two heroes attacked; Kage with his Hookshot, and Link with his sword. Together, they made short work of Morpha.

"Good work." Sheik panted, completely out of breath from defending Ruto. Then, suddenly, a brilliant blue light surrounded the four of them and transported them to another chamber in the temple.

"The Chamber of Sages! This means I am the Sage of Water!" Ruto said, in amazement.

"Yes. Now you must give the medallion that is lying on that table over there to Kage and Link. I must leave now, I have business in Kakariko that needs tending to. See you in a while, Heroes!" Sheik said, then, without further ado, he disappeared.

"He sure is a mysterious fellow, isn't he?" Ruto asked.

"He sure is." Kage agreed, then watched as Ruto handed Link the Water Medallion.

"Thank you for coming and saving me, Link, Kage. This is so much like the first time, and yet it is so different. You both will always have a special place in my heart. Be careful when you go looking for the two remaining medallions." Ruto said, before placing a kiss on the foreheads of both heroes, then disappearing in a flash of blue light.

"It sure was good to see her again, wasn't it?" Kage asked, before they pulled out their ocarinas and played Serenade of Water in order to get back to the surface.

"It sure was. But I never even suspected that our friend Ruto would turn out to be a sage!" Link said, voicing his and Kage's disbelief in that one statement.

"Link! Kage! You're back! And you've got the Water Medallion! That leaves Spirit and Shadow!" the two fairies said, in unison as they greeted their charges.

"Yeah. C'mon, let's go to Kakariko, Sheik's waiting on us!" Kage said, as he called Ryuuhi and Link called Epona. With one more ordeal behind them, they knew that things were quickly rushing towards a climax! 

Chapter Eight: Without a Shadow of Doubt

Even before they could see the town, Kage and Link could see billowing black smoke rising from the area Kakariko Village was located in.

"The town's burning! Come on! Sheik might be in trouble!" Link shouted, as he spurred Epona into a faster gallop. Dread filled them as they rode up to the town, and when they dismounted. Sheik was rushing around, trying to evacuate what people had remained in the village, his usually calm red eyes filled with panic as he tried his best to get people out of the village.

"Sheik!" Kage and Link shouted, in unison. The Sheikah looked up at them and shouted a message to them, but was drowned out by the chaotic sounds around him. Then, suddenly, something flew out of the well that stood in the center of the village and knocked Sheik off of his feet, sending him sprawling.

"Sheik!" the two heroes cried again, as they rushed to his side to see if he was okay.

"Don't worry about me! The evil shadow that had been sealed in that well has gotten loose! Impa has gone into the Shadow Temple to try and reseal it. You must help her!" Sheik begged, then grimaced when Link bumped his side.

"It looks like that thing broke a few of your ribs. Kage, you take Sheik to Lon Lon, I'll go in after Impa. If there is a chance that I don't go into the temple all the way, meet me beside the well. Okay?" Link said, as he started to get up.

"Wait, there is something more I must teach you both before you go your separate ways." Sheik said, as he painfully sat up and played a new tune on his harp for them. When they had learned that, Sheik explained it to them.

"This is the Nocturne of Shadow. It will help you reach the inaccessible areas of the Shadow Temple. Please, be careful." Sheik said, from between gritted teeth. 

"Don't worry, I'll be careful." Link said, before getting to his feet and walking into the temple. With some reluctance, Kage helped Sheik get to his feet and they both got onto Ryuuhi's back and started riding to Lon Lon Ranch.

"I hate leaving Link alone to face that temple, but your well being comes first." Kage said, as he moved the horse into a gallop.

"You never cease to amaze me, Kage. I am a Sheikah, the same kind of person that helped to eradicate your kind from this land, yet you still risk your life to help me." Sheik said, as they rode through the moonless night.

"Isn't that what a Hero is supposed to do? Help those who can't help themselves?" Kage asked, as he rode on.

"Yes. I can see now the wisdom Fate had to choose you to be the Hero of Memories." Sheik said, as they approached the ranch. Luckily for them, Malon was going out to feed the horses when Kage arrived.

"Kage! You're back! But where's Link?" Malon asked, as Kage dismounted and helped Sheik get down from the horse.

"Link's in the temple in Kakariko, trying to get a hold of Impa. He told me to bring Sheik here so his wounds could get tended to." Kage said, as he followed Malon into the house and helped Sheik get to a chair.

"Kage, you must get back to Kakariko. I am pretty sure that Link will be waiting at the well for you." Sheik said, before gasping in pain when Malon touched his ribs.

"I'm going back now. Take care of Sheik, Malon." Kage said, as he turned to leave.

"Wait." Malon said, as Kage reached for the doorknob.

"Hn………………..?!" Kage trailed off when Malon suddenly kissed him. Sheik chuckled as Kage's cheeks turned bright red from blushing.

"Wow……………what was that for?" Kage asked, still dazed from the kiss.

"For good luck. Now go to Link, he's waiting for you." Malon said, gently. Kage nodded.

"You'd better have a kiss like that for me after Link and I defeat Ganondorf." Kage said, with a mischievous grin.

"Don't worry, there's plenty where that came from." Malon said, as she saw the Hero of Memories to the gate.

"See you later, then." Kage said, as he mounted and rode off into the night. When Kage arrived back in Kakariko, Link was indeed waiting for him at the well.

"Link! What happened? Couldn't you get into the temple?" Kage asked, as he quickly dismounted and jogged over to his friend.

"I got to a certain point then couldn't go any further than that. Kage, I think it's time we did some time traveling." Link said, as he pulled out his ocarina and started playing Prelude of Light. Kage followed his example and soon they found themselves back in the Temple of Time.

"What do you think will happen when we time travel, Link? How far back do you think we'll go?" Kage asked, as they moved toward the two pedestals.

"Do you remember what Sheik had said about that? He'd said we would travel back exactly seven years into the past. This will mean we will be at the ages we were when we first entered the Temple of Time." Link said, as they stood before their respective pedestals.

"Well, let's do this." Kage said, as he and Link lowered their swords into the pedestals. With a sound that was not unlike water rippling, time broke around them and when Kage looked around again, the temple looked bigger than what he'd remembered it being.

"We're seven years back in time. Now to get back to Kakariko and the Shadow Temple." Link said, still focused on his mission, even though he was a child again. 

"But how will we get there? At this point, Epona and Ryuuhi are still foals and the walk to Kakariko took us at least two days when we went on foot." Kage said, as they exited the temple.

"We'll use our ocarinas. We've learned the Nocturne of Shadow from Sheik, now let's see what it can do." Link said, as he pulled out the Ocarina of Time and started playing. Kage did the same, and, in the blink of an eye, they were standing in front of the Shadow Temple.

"We'll have to wait to go into the temple, Kage. I learned from going in there in the future that we need the 'eyes of truth' in order to go through the Shadow Temple safely." Link said, as he approached and looked down into the well.

"Wait a minute! Isn't this the same well that that evil shadow escaped from?" Kage asked. Link nodded.

"But that hasn't happened yet. This is the past, and what has happened in the time we came from hasn't happened here yet." Link said, as he started to walk toward a windmill.

"This time traveling stuff sure is a lot to take in." Kage commented, as he followed Link into the windmill. Then it occurred to him that the fairies were not with them.

"Hey, Link, where's Mizuu and Navi?" Kage asked, when Link had paused to knock on the door of the windmill.

"I think at this point they are still at the Temple of Time, since our past selves have just started their long term of dormancy." Link said, as the round-faced keeper of the windmill opened the door.

"What can I do for you lads?" the keeper asked, as he looked down onto the two of them. 

"We wanted to take a look around your windmill sir. By any chance, does this windmill affect the water levels inside the well?" Link asked.

"Why, yes. As a matter of fact, it does. Care to come in and take a look around?" the keeper asked.

"Sure, why not? Let's go in and have a look." Kage said, thinking better of calling his friend's name out loud. As the keeper cleared the way for them to come in, they pulled out their ocarinas.

"Play the Song of Storms. This might be the only way we'll be able to lower the level of the water in that well!" Link whispered and raised his ocarina to his lips. Kage followed suit and they both started playing at the same time. Outside, the sky darkened and the wind picked up. Thunder rumbled as Link, Kage, and the windmill keeper ran outside to see what was going on. Sensing that the time of entering the well had come, Link ran to the well and lowered himself in, signaling for Kage to do the same while the windmill keeper was distracted. Kage nodded and ran for it, disappearing into the well just as the keeper had turned around to look at where they had been standing. When they had gotten to the bottom of the well, Kage and Link noticed that there was a complex system of labyrinths beneath the town. 

"I'll bet half the people in Kakariko down even know that this exists!" Kage said, his voice echoing somewhat, in the dank tunnels.

"That's a probability, Kage. At this point, I wish we had Navi and Mizuu with us, at least we would have had some light." Link said, as he looked at the shadowed tunnels with a look of distaste on his face.

"Then let us help you." Two voices said.

"Who's there? Who are you?" Kage asked, drawing his Kokiri Sword and standing ready to fight.

"We are Hii and Kaze, relatives of Mizuu. We came here to guard the Lenses of Truth until the heroes came. From what we can tell, you two are the heroes of legend and thus we will lead you to where you need to go." A fairy said, as it came out of hiding, and fluttered there in front of Kage's nose. The other fairy sat on top of Link's head.

"Let's go get those lenses and get out of here, this place is starting to get a little spooky." Kage said, shuddering as a chill breeze blew past them. Link nodded and they started following the fairies' lead. After a while, they came to a huge chamber.

"This is the main chamber of the entire complex. From here you will find the way to where the Lenses of Truth are being held." Hii said, as she led the way. 

"I can't wait to being back in adult form again! Being a kid stinks." Kage grumbled, getting an exasperated look from Link.

"There you go with complaining about everything again!" Link said, with a sigh, as they got through the main chamber and entered yet another room. Without warning, the walls came alive with disembodied hands!

"Yikes!" Kage yelped, leaping to avoid getting caught by one of the hands as it made its way over to him.

"It's Dead Hand! You've gotta lure him out of hiding and hit his head! That's the only way you can beat him!" Hii shouted, as the creature became even more restless. 

"LURE it out?! How do you suggest we do that?" Kage shouted.

"Simple, we use you as the bait!" Link said, as he pushed Kage into the waiting hands of Dead Hand.

"LINK! YOU TRAITOR!" Kage shouted, furiously, but then saw what Link was trying to do and quelled his fury, for the moment. With a yell, Link launched himself at the head of Dead Hand, sinking his short bladed Kokiri Sword into its skull. With a loud moan, the creature retreated, releasing Kage from its grasp and flinging Link off with a violent shake of his head. Link hit the wall with a thud and lay still.

"Link!" Kage yelped, and rushed over to his friend, his outrage over being used for bait quite gone. Link didn't answer, but he still breathed, signaling to Kage that he was still alive. Then Kage remembered the milk from Lon Lon Ranch and reached into his pack, hoping that he had a bottle left from when Malon had packed their bags with fresh food before they left that final time seven years ago. To his relief, he did have a bottle of the milk and opened it, propping Link up so he could pour it into his mouth. Kage watched anxiously as Link swallowed the liquid, hoping against hope that this last ditch effort would work. 

"Kage! Dead Hand! He's coming back for another attack!" Kaze warned, as the hands started appearing from the walls again. Kage looked away, for a moment, saw that it was true, then looked back at his friend. To his surprise, Link had opened his eyes and was looking somewhat dazedly at him.

"Wha' happened?" Link asked, as Kage helped him to his feet.

"You got smacked around by that monster. Are you strong enough to help me finish him off?" Kage asked.

"I think so. I'm sorry I used you for bait." Link said, as he retrieved his sword from the floor and stood ready.

"It's okay, really. I'm just glad that you didn't die on me." Kage said, as he stood beside Link. When Dead Hand's head reemerged, both heroes charged at it, with swords drawn. Dead Hand never knew what hit him. Within moments, the two heroes stood victorious with the spoils of their battle; the Lenses of Truth!

"Let's get back to the future, shall we?" Link asked.

"Yeah! We're going back to being adults again!" Kage cheered, as they played Prelude to Light and warped back to the Temple of Time. With excitement running through them, the two heroes ran up to their pedestals and pulled out the swords. As before, time rippled around them and they found themselves back to being adults again.

"I never thought being an adult could feel so good!" Kage said, with a grin, as Navi and Mizuu greeted them.

"Well, I see that you got the Lenses of Truth. Let's hurry and get back to the Shadow Temple, Impa's waiting on us." Navi said, as Kage and Link tucked the lenses into their packs for safe keeping and reached for their ocarinas. Within seconds, they were back at the entrance of the Shadow Temple. 

"Time to see what these lenses can do." Link said, as he put the visor-like lens over his eyes and Kage did the same. With that done, they entered the temple. With relative ease they passed through several rooms, defeated Dead Hand (again) and received two pairs of Hover Boots. 

"This temple has a lot of twists and turns, but the path is clearly marked. Impa marked a trail for us to follow." Link said, as he and Kage continued in the direction Impa had taken. They then entered a room that was even more bizarre than any they had ever been in before.

"Look, the floor's made of tanned deer hide, like the top of a drum or tambourine." Kage said, noticing that the floor beneath them was unstable and bouncy. Link looked down and saw that Kage was right.

"Be on your guard. Since this room is so unusual, it must mean that a monster is hiding out in here, somewhere." Link said, as he notched an arrow into his bow and stood ready. Kage took the warning seriously and equipped himself with his sword and Lens of Truth. Then, as though heralding the approach of a monster, the 'ground' beneath them started vibrating.

"It's Bongo-Bongo! You'd better take him out quick or he'll knock you around on that drum of his!" Mizuu shouted, as the vibrations got worse and almost toppled the two warriors. When the monster finally emerged from its hiding place, Kage could not hide his disgust.

"Blech……..this thing's so ugly that I think even Ganondorf would have nightmares about it!" Kage said, as he dodged the huge hands that beat down on the drum.

"Kage, I think this thing is Ganondorf's dream date!" Link shouted, as he fired off some arrows at the monster's eye. Some of the arrows hit their mark, forcing a howl of pain from the drummer. With a fierce war cry, Kage leaped at the monster, slashing it with his sword, then somersaulted out of the way before it could swat at him. Then Link leaped in with the Master Sword and sliced the eyeball of the monster in two. Once again the monster howled in pain, but then the howling was cut short when the two warriors drove their swords deep into its head, killing it almost immediately. No sooner had they landed back on their feet and caught their breaths, they were whisked away into another part of the temple.

"Well done, Heroes." Impa said, as she emerged from the shadows.

"Hey, Impa! Long time no see, ne?" Kage asked, with a grin.

"Yes, it has been a while since I last saw you. You have matured a lot since then." Impa said, with a smile, surprising the two warriors with that.

"Well, the spirit that got out of the well is gone, Link and Kage took care of him." Navi said, with pride in her voice.

"It seems you have earned this." Impa said, as she handed Kage the Shadow Medallion.

"This means there is only one more medallion to go, the Spirit Medallion." Mizuu said, as she got a closer look at the medallion that had been put in Kage's hand.

"Yeah. Let's go ahead and get going, then." Link said, as he bade farewell to Impa. Once outside, Link looked to the west, his crystalline blue eyes troubled.

"What's wrong, Link?" Navi asked, sensing that her bonded elf was nervous about something.

"The Spirit Temple is in Gerudo Territory. Who knows what kind of trouble we'll run into in the very land that birthed Hyrule's greatest enemy?" Link said, as he continued looking off to the west, the troubled look never leaving his eyes.

Chapter Nine: Spirits Having Flown

Before they could leave Hyrule Field behind them, Kage and Link checked back in with Malon and Sheik. To their surprise, Sheik was astride a beautiful bay stallion waiting for them as the sun rose.

"You recovered from those broken ribs fast." Kage commented, as he and Link rode up.

"The milk here has miraculous healing properties, but I am sure you two already knew about that." Sheik said, getting incredulous looks from both Link and Kage.

"How did you convince Malon to give you some of the milk?" Link asked, noticing when Sheik's eyes showed a hint of guilt.

"She made me promise to let her come along with us to the Gerudo Valley." Sheik said, with a sigh of exasperation, as Malon came out to meet them, riding on a gray mare. 

"You actually agreed to letting her come with us?! Sheik!" Kage shouted, not really caring at that particular moment whether he was waking anybody up or not. Sheik cringed, but said nothing, as Malon cheerfully joined the group.

"Let's get going! I'm up for an adventure!" Malon said, revealing in the gray dawn that she had come prepared; she had a pack filled with food and who knew what else and had a small sword and shield strapped to her back.

"I didn't know you owned a sword, Malon." Link said, trying to break the tension that surrounded them. Malon smiled at that statement.

"I bought it about seven years ago, shortly after you and Kage disappeared, so I could be prepared to fight in case Ganondorf attacked the ranch." Malon said, as they started riding away from Lon Lon. Link exchanged glances with Kage and Sheik, then they started riding towards the west, where the Gerudo Valley awaited them. They had gone about thirty or forty miles by the time the sun had reached its zenith, signaling that they stop and rest for a while. While the horses grazed in the shade of one of the few remaining trees in Hyrule, Link and Kage took the opportunity to get some much needed sleep, since they had gotten very little in the previous couple of days.

"Even though they are all grown up, they still look like little boys when they sleep." Navi said as she and Mizuu perched on Malon's shoulder and watched the two exhausted Heroes sleep. 

"Yeah, they do. Especially Kage." Malon said, as Kage muttered something in his sleep and turned over onto his side. Sheik, who was silently listening to the conversation, merely rolled his eyes and went back to playing his harp, his thoughts elsewhere.

When they got back to traveling again, it was well into the afternoon. Sheik and Link took turns leading the group, while Kage chatted amiably with Malon.

"You know, this is probably the first trip we have ever gone on that Kage didn't complain once!" Navi commented, getting an insulted sounding 'Hey!' from Kage, who hadn't been paying attention until then.

"You spoke too soon, Navi." Sheik said, as Kage sent a dagger-filled gaze at his back. 

"Seems like I have." Navi said, dodging the glare Kage sent her way by hiding under Link's hat. Then, suddenly, the path disappeared and a gap appeared in front of them.

"Whoa!" Link yelped, stopping Epona just an inch from the edge.

"The bridge is out." Sheik said, "And not by accident either."

"Did Ganondorf's lackeys do this?" Link asked, as he dismounted and took a look at the sawed off edges of the rope that had held the bridge together.

"It could have been, Link, but it seems more likely that the thieves that call this valley home did this to prevent the Heroes progress deeper into Gerudo Valley." Sheik replied, as he turned his ruby-eyed gaze to the other side.

"Do you think we can jump this divide?" Kage asked, as he turned to his comrades for an affirmative answer.

"Horses that come from Lon Lon can jump just about anything, you should know that by now, Kage!" Malon said, matter-of-factly.

"Then it's settled. We jump." Link said, as he led them far enough back for the horses to get a good running start.

"We should go one at a time. That way we'll have less of a chance of colliding on the opposite side." Sheik said. The rest nodded, and watched as Link went first. 

"C'mon, Epona, you can do it, girl!" Link murmured, as the red mare gathered enough speed to leap across. For a few seconds, time seemed to slow down around horse and rider as they soared through the air and landed gracefully on the opposite side.

"Way to go, Link!" Kage cheered, then he got ready to jump. Sheik watched as the black horse flew across the ground and soared across the divide and landed with the grace of a being with wings. Even though Sheik didn't like to admit it, jumping on horseback terrified him. A memory from his past reminded him of why he didn't like riding horses. Almost as though she had heard the thundering of his heart, Malon gently put a hand on his trembling hands.

"Don't worry, it will be all right. Tama won't let you fall." Malon said, gently, having complete faith in the bay stallion Sheik now rode. Sheik swallowed and nodded, watching as Malon cleared the gap with expert ease.

"_Okay, here I go!_" Sheik thought, as he spurred Tama into action and built up enough speed for the jump. When he felt the horse leave the ground, he closed his eyes and prayed to whatever deity was up there that Malon had been right about the horse. He wasn't even aware that the horse had made it to the other side until he heard Link, Kage, Malon, Navi and Mizuu cheering for him.

"Way to go, Sheik!" Kage shouted, happily clapping the shaking Sheikah on the back.

"Y-you mean I actually made that jump?" Sheik asked, somewhat shakily. 

"You sure did, Sheik! It was almost as though your horse had wings, that jump was so pretty!" Link said, with a grin. Sheik's countenance brightened noticeably as he patted Tama's neck and scratched his steed's ears. The horse nickered its appreciation at that. 

"I do believe you have made yourself a friend, Sheik!" Malon said, laughing as the horse neighed its agreement. 

"Let's get going. Let's try to get to the Spirit Temple before it gets dark." Navi said, eager to get this part of the quest over with as soon as possible. All agreed with that as they started moving again, leaving the gap behind them. Before they had gotten very far, a man with a carpenter's shop just off to the side stopped them.

"What seems to be the trouble, sir?" Link asked, looking down at the stocky man who stood beside them.

"It seems that you are the only ones who can help me. You see, I am a carpenter, and I was working on that bridge over the gap with my workers until yesterday. They got it into their heads that carpentry is boring and they went off to the Gerudo Fortress to become thieves. Do you think you could find them and find out what those thieves are up to?" the carpenter asked, looking very troubled about the whole thing. Link looked at his companions, those of whom simply shrugged.

"We'll go. It looks like the Spirit Temple will have to wait, for now." Link said, as he allowed Sheik to take up the leadership of the group and started in the direction of the Gerudo Fortress. After about an hour, they spotted the fortress. It was an imposing structure of foreboding, granite stonework. 

"Dismount." Link whispered, his voice carrying a commanding tone in it. They all did as they were told. 

"Now, Sheik, you probably know more about the Gerudo than we do, so you suggest the safest way of getting in there." Link said, turning to the one with the most knowledge. 

"This fortress is obviously well guarded, since I can see about two or three sentries on top of that wall. The best way to take them out is if you fire some arrows at them and knock them out. Then we'll Hookshot our way up the wall. There are bound to be more thieves inside that structure than we can see from out here, so we had better be careful once we are inside. Avoid fighting if possible. Malon, I would prefer if you remained out here with the horses for your own safety. Link, Kage, you have bows, so you may fire when ready." Sheik said, as they launched their plans. Malon didn't have time to argue, for, by the time she had realized that she had to remain behind, the three men were going in for a closer vantage point. Silently she sat down to sulk. When she saw the men again, she would give them a piece of her mind.

Kage breathed a sigh of relief. Phase one of their plan had gone off without a hitch. The thief sentries were out cold and they had gotten in without being seen. With a silent gesture, Sheik motioned for the two Heroes to follow him. Cautiously, the three men avoided the gate and headed for a doorway that looked inviting. Once within, a voice caught their attention.

"Hey! You three! Over here!" the voice called, desperately.

"Shh! Are you the carpenters that were working on the bridge?" Link asked, as he and his two companions looked warily around for trouble.

"Yes! We were stupid beyond measure! We thought we could have a more exciting life as thieves than as simple carpenters, so we came here, hoping they would teach us how. Instead we were herded into these cells and told that we were going to remain in here until our bones return to the dust. Please, get us out of here!" the carpenter begged. 

"We'll do our best. Just hang tight." Link said, as he turned to Sheik and Kage.

"We should try to find the keys for these cells." Link said, then realized that there was someone coming their way. And that someone was armed with a sword.

"Split up! We'll meet up later!" Sheik shouted, whipping out his scimitar and facing the warrior, making an opportunity of escape for the two Heroes. Taking Sheik's advice, Kage and Link ran for their lives. With a snarl, the warrior slashed at Sheik, a blow that was easily parried by the Sheikah. When she opened herself up, Sheik rammed her in the head with the pommel of his scimitar, succeeding in knocking her out cold. With no further ado, Sheik grabbed the key that was on a chain around the neck of the Gerudo and unlocked the cell door.

"Be as quiet as you can and don't attract attention." Sheik said, as he led them to the gate and opened it just enough so the carpenters could get out.

"Thank you." One carpenter said, before they all made their getaway. Meanwhile, Link and Kage were fighting against two more thieves. 

"The sword's no good against these people! Let's try the Megaton Hammers!" Link shouted, as one Gerudo swung her sword a little too close to Link for comfort.

"Okay!" Kage replied, as he whipped out his hammer and whacked one thief on the head. The thief fell without a sound.

"Looks like the hammer's a real knockout!" Kage said, when heard Link's assailant hit the ground.

"Yes. Let's go find Sheik, he might be needing some help." Link said, as they ran off to find the Sheikah. They found him leading a man out to safety.

"You work fast, Sheik." Kage said, as they rejoined the Sheikah.

"In my line of work, you must be fast. Come, there are two more carpenters to free in this place." Sheik said, not giving Kage any time to ask any questions. As they sneaked through, they could tell that they were up against an all woman thief group. After taking a few turns, they found another carpenter.

"Don't say a word, we're here to free you." Sheik whispered, as he slipped the key into the lock and unlocked the cell door.

"Thank you. I am Jiro, a carpenter under the employ of the man that was working on the bridge. I was the one who had suggested becoming thieves for a more exciting life. I deserve to be hanged." The carpenter said, shamefully.

"Just don't get it into your head that you can be better at being anything other than yourself ever again." Kage said, getting a look of surprise from Sheik and Link. The carpenter nodded then went to make his escape. After freeing another carpenter from his cell, the three warriors came out of the prison area. 

"I hear one more carpenter in the lower level, I'm going down there. Meet me here in a few minutes." Link said, as he went down a flight of stairs in the direction of the voice. 

"We don't have much of a choice." Kage muttered, before looking warily around him for any more trouble. Link had not gone very far before he'd found what he was looking for; the last carpenter. 

"Thank goodness! I thought I was never going to go free!" the carpenter said, when Link had unlocked his cell.

"Are you the last one in here?" Link asked.

"Yes. My name is Shiro. There is something you must know. In the land just a few miles from here is the Haunted Wasteland. If you take the path through there you will find the Colossus, the halfway mark to finding the Temple of Spirit." The carpenter said, startling Link with that information.

"How did you know that my friends and I had come to find the Spirit Temple?" Link asked. The carpenter shrugged.

"I dreamed one night that the two heroes of legend would come here seeking the Spirit Temple and its medallion. Something told me just now that you are one of them. Where is the other hero?" Shiro asked. 

"He's waiting for me with another friend of mine. You'd best make you getaway now before s those Gerudo find out that their prisoners had been freed." Link said. The carpenter nodded, then, before he disappeared, he called back to Link.

"Come and visit my tent sometime! You and your friends are welcome!" Shiro shouted, before dashing away. 

"You three strangers are to really be commended. You got in without our realizing it and freed those fools right out from under our noses. Who are you?" another thief asked, as she appeared in front of Link.

"I am Link and my two friends go by the names of Kage and Sheik." Link said, deciding to keep his true mission and identity (and those of his companions) a secret.

"I am Kousa, a proud Gerudo Thief under the command of the Esteemed Nabooru. I have the authority to make you and your friends honorary Gerudo." The thief said, with an air of importance in her voice. 

"I thank you, Kousa, but there is one more member of the group that is outside of the fortress watching the horses till we return. Would you mind if we let her in on this membership as well?" Link asked.

"Of course! Since she is already a female, she is a Gerudo! You see, this group consisted of all females, until today. You, your friend Kage, and the other man, Sheik, are the first male Gerudo. Come, let's get your membership cards." Kousa said, as she led Link back to where Kage and Sheik were waiting. Kage froze with a look of shock on his face, while Sheik whipped out his scimitar, ready for a fight. 

"Stand down, Sheik. Ease up, Kage. She means us no harm. We've just been made members of this group." Link said. Both Sheikah and shadow elf gave him an incredulous look, then they looked at the Gerudo. 

"Hmm. This is the first time I have ever seen a shadow elf and a Sheikah. Do not worry, I will not let Ganondorf know that you are here. You see, I believe that what he is doing is wrong. There hasn't been a war between the people of Hyrule and the Gerudo for almost three hundred years. But now, here we are, in the midst of the bloodiest war that has ever been seen by either side." Kousa said, with genuine regret in her tone, as she led them to the pace where they could get their membership cards. Just when they had gotten there, Malon was escorted into the fortress, with the horses in tow.

"Hey Malon, come and join us!" Kage said, happy to see the redhead again.

"Looks like I have no choice in the matter. At least they didn't hurt the horses." Malon said, as he watched the Gerudo take a closer look at the four fine beasts. 

"We would never hurt such fine creatures! You four are obviously fine riders." One Gerudo said, as she gently patted the neck of the horse Sheik had ridden earlier. 

"By the way, we need to go to the Spirit Temple. Can we leave from here and go there?" Kage asked.

"Not until you have passed the two trials. First you must successfully navigate your way through the River of Sand, then you will have to follow the Phantom Guide. If and when you do pass these trials, you will be free to do what you wish." Kousa said. Link then turned to his companions.

"What do you think? Shall we take up these challenges?" Link asked.

"We must, if we are going to reach the Spirit Temple." Sheik said, knowing that they had only one chance.

"We accept the challenge." Link said. The Gerudo nodded, their expressions grim. 

"_These two who call themselves Link and Kage, they have the very presence of Fate on them. Could these two possibly be the Heroes of Hyrule that the Hylian legends speak of?_" Kousa wondered, as she led the four adventurers to the beginning of the River of Sand.

"The rules are simple. If any one of you can make it to the structure that is surrounded by flags, all of you will get credit for it and you will all be one step closer to going to the Spirit Temple. Good luck." Kousa said, as she watched the four of them set off. Kage grumbled ominously as they walked through the course. Link and Kage had already equipped themselves with their Hover Boots and Lenses of Truth. After a little while, they came to a circle of flags. They had passed the first trial in record time!

"Well done! Now, to pass the second and final trial, you must follow the friendly Poe through the desert. The Poe is the Phantom Guide." Kousa said, obviously pleased that the four had passed the trial with flying colors.

"Wha's going on?" Navi asked, peeking out from under Link's hat and looking around.

"Have a nice nap, Navi? Mizuu?" Link asked, as the second trial began and the Poe became visible to him and Kage.

"Nicest one I've ever experienced. So, have I missed anything?" Navi asked.

"We'll tell you later what you'd missed, Navi. For now, we have a trial to finish." Sheik said, as Link and Kage led the way in following the Poe through the desert. When they had gotten to a huge Colossus, Kousa was waiting for them.

"You four are simply amazing! No one has ever breezed through the trials like you have this day! Here are your horses and some extra supplies. Good luck to you on the rest of your journey!" Kousa said, as she handed over the horses and other essentials to the four adventurers. 

"Thank you, Kousa! Maybe someday we'll meet again, only on friendlier terms!" Kage said, as the Gerudo started to leave.

"Yes! that will be nice! We shall meet again as friends!" Kousa said, before the swirling sand hid her from view.

"Well, where to now?" Link asked, as he looked around.

"There is a Fairy Cave nearby. It might be to yours and Kage's advantage to go in there." Sheik suggested. Link nodded and they all entered the cave. As before, with Fairy Caves in their youth, Kage and Link played Zelda's Lullaby on the Triforce symbol on the cave floor and a Great Fairy appeared before them.

"So, you have finally come to my humble abode! And to think that the other Great Fairies had told me to expect children when the Heroes came around! But you two are handsome young men!" the Great Fairy said, getting a blush from both Kage and Link. 

"Are you ready to learn some more magic?" the Great Fairy asked. Link and Kage nodded.

"Good. Now, pay attention. Nayru's Love!" The Great Fairy shouted, hurling a blast of energy at a stalactite, shattering it into a million pieces. Kage and Link exchanged glances. They could use this magic! After a few tries and moments of near death for Sheik and Malon, Kage and Link got the hang of their new magic and bid the Fairy farewell. Before they left the Fairy Cave, they could see that the Spirit Temple was surrounded by an evil aura.

"This means that in this time, we are too late to reach the Sage of Spirit. But, if the Heroes traveled back in time, they would be able to reach the Sage of Spirit before the evil does." Sheik said, as they started riding back towards the Gerudo Fortress.

"Does this mean we'll have to time travel again?" Kage said dreading the thought. Sheik nodded. Kage then started grumbling expletives under his breath while Malon patted him on the back, her expression sympathetic.

"And, to add to Kage's bad mood, I have yet another tune to teach you. This is the Requiem of Spirit." Sheik said, as he pulled out his harp and played the tune. Link and Kage listened carefully, then duplicated the sound on their ocarinas. This time, to their surprise, Sheik stayed with them, instead of disappearing like he normally did after teaching them something new.

"He never ceases to amaze me." Link muttered, as they all traveled back to the Gerudo Fortress and went through there. By the time they had reached the gap, the carpenters had repaired the bridge and they went safely across. Without even asking, Malon knew what the next destination was; the Temple of Time.

"Hey, Sheik, why don't you travel back in time with us? We could use some extra help." Kage said, as they turned in the direction of the Temple of Time.

"You couldn't convince me to travel back even if you wanted me to. My life seven years ago was a nightmare." Sheik said, opposed to the idea of traveling back in time.

"Suit yourself. You can stay in this time and help Malon keep an eye on the horses. We'll go back and try to get to the Sage of Spirit. See you later." Link said, as he and Kage dismounted, took out their ocarinas, played Prelude of Light, and disappeared in a flash of light.

"Good luck, Kage." Malon murmured, hoping that Kage and Link would return unharmed. 

Chapter Ten: Tears of the Soul

As before, when he and Link arrived, Kage placed the Sword of Reflections back into its place on the pedestal and felt time ripple around him.

"Now, let's get back to Gerudo Valley." Link said, as he pulled out his ocarina and started playing Requiem of Spirit. Kage followed the example and did the same. When they arrived at the Colossus, they took a left and found themselves at the base of the Spirit Temple.

"Link, there's an opening over here we can crawl through. I think it leads inside." Kage said, as he looked into a small crawlspace that led inside.

"Let's go through one at a time." Link said, as he started through first. 

Nabooru, Leader of the Gerudo Thieves, paused in what she was doing when she heard sounds coming from the wall of the temple.

"_Strange, I don't remember there being a case of temples having mouse problems!_" Nabooru thought, as she located the source of the sound and waited. After a few moments, a child crawled out of the small opening, cautiously looked around, then motioned for someone else to come up after him.

"Ouch. This space is smaller than I thought it was!" Kage said, as he came out of the small tunnel, holding a hand to his head where he'd bumped it on the way through.

"I can agree with you on that." Link said, as he stretched his sore back. Once again they were on their own, so they didn't realize that a Gerudo was standing behind them until she grabbed them by the collars of their tunics.

"Hey!" Link yelped, flailing madly through the air as he was lifted off the ground.

"Put me down!" Kage shouted, angrily, twisting his body this way and that in a mad attempt to get away. Their captor merely laughed. 

"You've got spunk, I like that in children. But why are you so far from home? Hmm?" the captor said, as she put the two children back on their feet before her.

"What's it to you?" Kage asked, testily.

"Because I want to know. I am Nabooru, Leader of the Gerudo Thieves. I have a favor to ask of you." The captor said, as she led them to a chamber she had set up as a conference room of sorts.

"What kind of favor?" Link asked. Nabooru's expression darkened.

"Your kind is suspicious of all Gerudo, since Ganondorf took over that castle in Hyrule. I want to make sure that my reputation doesn't get tarnished. You see, I am the guardian of this temple. If the treasures from here get plundered, I in turn will be contaminated with evil. There are at least two sets of Silver Gauntlets hidden in this temple. Since you two are small, you be able to fit easily through the crawl spaces, since I am too big to fit through them. Retrieve them for me before Ganondorf decides that he wants them.

"Okay, we'll do it." Link said, getting a look of exasperation from Kage.

"It seems as though your friend is not very pleased about that decision." Nabooru said, with a chuckle. 

"Seems like it. Let's go, Kage. Those gauntlets are waiting!" Link said, as he headed for a crawl space and went through. Kage followed him, but not before giving Nabooru an odd look. Once inside the temple proper, Link and Kage looked around. This temple was unlike any they had ever seen before. 

"This place hasn't been seen in a while." Kage said, sneezing as dust was kicked up as they walked. Link said nothing, but he had to agree with Kage. After running into a few Stalfos and a living Anubis statue, they ran into a creature known as the Iron Knuckle. After battling the creature for a few moments, they arrived in the place that held the Silver Gauntlets. 

"Now, let's get back to Nabooru." Link said, as they placed the gauntlets in the packs and went back the way they had come. Before they were even halfway back, they heard a hair-raising scream.

"Nabooru!" Link and Kage yelped, as they quickened their pace to get back to where the Gerudo Leader had set up her base of operations. They arrived only to see Nabooru disappear into thin air.

"What do we do now?" Kage asked, looking to Link for the answer.

"We must go back to the Temple of Time, return to adulthood, then see if we can rescue Nabooru!" Link said, as he whipped out his ocarina and played Prelude of Light. Kage did the same and within seconds, they were back in the Temple of Time. 

Malon looked up as Link and Kage walked down the stairs. 

"Did you manage to find out who the Sage of Spirit is?" Malon asked. 

"Not yet, but I have a hunch of who it is. C'mon, we're going back to the Spirit Temple." Link said, as he and Kage mounted and waited for Sheik and Malon to do the same. Within moments, the four riders were moving quickly to the Gerudo Valley. The bridge carpenters looked up in surprise as the four riders galloped past. The Gerudo Thieves let them through without hassle. When they arrived at the temple, Sheik prevented Malon from entering with the two heroes.

"Why are you stopping me from going in with them?! They can use all the help they can get!" Malon said, angrily. Sheik shook his head.

"We can't go in there. This is the final temple and the conclusion to their second quest. They must do this alone, for they are the Legendary Heroes." Sheik explained, as the heavy stone doors slammed shut behind Link and Kage. Malon looked like she was at a loss; she had heard the legends of the two heroes, but she didn't want to admit that every time Link and Kage went in to fight something alone, they were running a very great risk.

"If they don't come out alive, I will never forgive you, Sheik." Malon said, angrily.

"We must have faith in them. They will come out of there alive." Sheik said, as he looked at the closed doors, his eyes filled with grim certainty.

Kage looked warily around as he and Link walked through the first set of rooms. They remembered the Stalfos that had been there when they had last entered the sacred place.

"This place is even creepier now than it was in the past!" Kage said, as Mizuu fluttered near his left ear.

"It made be because we have these Silver Gauntlets. I believe their magical aura was what kept this place pure. Let's go this way, I think this leads to where the monster and medallion will turn up." Link said, as he led the way into one of the passageways. Along the way, they saw a wall with two shields hanging on it.

"Mirror Shields! Each of you take one, for you going to need them later!" Navi instructed, speaking up for the first time since they had entered the temple. Then an eerie cackling filled the air around them.

"Well, well! Look at who decided to visit us! Koume! Let's help them feel welcome, shall we?" one witch said, as she descended from somewhere in the ceiling.

"Let's! But I've got dibs on the dark one!" the witch called Koume said, leering at the two heroes.

"Wait just a moment! I wanted to do the dark one in! He's mine!" the other witch, the one known as Kotake, said.

"He is not! I've got first dibs on him!" Koume argued.

"You do not!" Kotake retaliated.

"Do too!"

"Do not!" 

"Do too!!"

"You do not!"

"Oh yes I do!"

"You do not, wart face!" Kotake shrieked. While this was going on, Link and Kage looked at one another and exchanged looks of confusion and amusement.

"I didn't know I was that popular among the ladies!" Kage muttered from the corner of his mouth to a skeptical Link.

"You only wish that were the reason they are arguing!" Link replied, getting an indignant look from Kage. The two heroes merely watched as the witches started duking it out.

"I'd hate to get between them when they fight. They fight worse than you and Mizuu do, Kage." Navi said, giggling as one witch shrieked an expletive and bounced around, her butt burning.

"Let's get out of here while they are busy destroying each other." Kage said, ignoring Navi's comment, completely. The whole group agreed and left the bickering witches to themselves. Before they had gotten very far, there was a huge explosion behind them.

"I guess they finally destroyed each other, ne, Link?" Kage asked, with a grin. Link laughed and nodded.

"I do believe they have!" Link said, as light surrounded them and they were transported to the Chamber of Sages.

"Hello again, you two! You've grown up since I last saw you!" Nabooru said, as she greeted them.

"Nabooru!" Kage and Link yelped, in unison. Nabooru smiled.

"Good to see that you have become ready for the final battle. I guess you now know that I am the Sage of Spirit. This is for you." Nabooru said, as she handed the last medallion to Link. Right when Link touched the smooth metal of the final medallion other five Sages appeared; Rauru, Saria, Darunia, Ruto, and Impa.

"You have done well in your quest, young heroes. Soon your real battle will begin. Go back to the Temple of Time. There is someone waiting for you there." Rauru said, knowingly.

"But what about Malon and Sheik? Aren't they still waiting for us outside of the Spirit Temple?" Kage asked. Rauru shook his head.

"When you and Link were transported here, Malon was automatically back at Lon Lon Ranch with the horses. Sheik is waiting for you at the Temple of Time, along with someone else." Rauru said, not dropping any hints as to who this mysterious other person was.

"Okay. Let's go, Kage. We are about to fulfill our destiny." Link said, as they pulled out their ocarinas and played Prelude of Light, thinking deep in their hearts that this would be the last time they did this.

Chapter Eleven: Destiny

When they arrived at the Temple of Time, it was already dusk and mists had begun to enshroud the place. Neither Hero spoke a word; they knew the time was at hand that they face their destiny and not be afraid. Before they had gotten to the top step on the outer staircase, they saw Sheik kneeling there, his head bowed deeply against his chest.

"_Who is he bowing to?_" Link wondered. Then the mists parted to reveal a beautiful young woman. Kage and Link gaped at the vision of beauty in front of them.

"Don't look so shocked, you two! It is I, Zelda, Princess of Hyrule." The woman said, with a gentle smile. The two Heroes were speechless. 

"I think you have shocked them into silence, your Highness." Sheik said, with a smile in his voice.

"I think so too." Zelda agreed, as she soundlessly walked over to the two heroes.

"Zelda……………." Link murmured, his mind so numb that he had dropped formalities.

"And to think I thought you were Sheik, your Highness!" Navi said, with embarrassment in her voice. Zelda smiled warmly.

"I am sorry I didn't tell you where I was, Link, Kage. But I had to keep my location a secret. The only ones who knew were Sheik and Impa. Sheik was the only one I could trust with the mission to relay information to you." Zelda said, somewhat sheepishly.

"Sheik did a fine job. He taught us what we needed to know. But, there is one thing that still puzzles me; what is his relationship to you?" Kage asked, before getting elbowed in the ribs by Link for being rude.

"I am Impa's nephew. You see, I was orphaned seven years ago when Ganondorf destroyed my village. Both of my parents and my younger brothers and sisters were slaughtered. The only family I have is Impa, the Sage of Shadow." Sheik said, as he stood before the two Heroes, on Zelda's right hand side.

"So that would make Impa your aunt and your teacher, since she is also of the Sheikah race." Mizuu said, getting an affirmative nod from Sheik.

"Why are you here, Princess? Don't you realize what kind of danger you are putting yourself in?" Link asked, finally getting his wits about him in order to talk.

"To tell you more about the Triforce. There are three pieces of the Triforce; Power, Wisdom, and Courage. Link, hold out your right hand." Zelda commanded. Link did as he was told and held his right hand out to her. No sooner was his hand out stretched to her, burning pain went through it and then golden light emanated from it. Kage gaped in astonishment at Link's hand.

"You have the Triforce of Courage, I have the Triforce of Wisdom, and our enemy, Ganondorf, has the Triforce of Power." Zelda said, as she held up her hand, showing that it too was glowing.

"What about Kage? Does he have anything special?" Mizuu asked.

"He has a power that will rival that of the Triforce of Power; the Catalyst of Hope." Zelda said, as a single, upside down triangle appeared on Kage's right hand. 

"You mean his power is the very heart of the Triforce?! The triangle with its point facing downwards in the symbol of the Triforce?!?" Navi yelped. Zelda nodded. Before anything more could be said, the ground shook violently beneath the four of them, sending them toppling to the ground.

"Princess!" Sheik shouted, as Zelda was lifted into the air by an unseen force. 

"Princess Zelda!" Link cried, as he made a vain attempt to grab her hand and got shocked by a bolt of lightning for his troubles. Link then screamed in pain and fell back, as Sheik and Kage caught him, prevented a nasty fall.

"Link! Kage, Sheik, help!" Zelda screamed, as a huge crystal encased her and disappeared without a trace, taking Zelda with it. The three men sat where they were for a few agonizing moments, completely shocked over the whole turn of events. When he had regained his senses, Link looked to his two comrades.

"What do we do, now?" Link asked, really and truly at a complete loss.

"You and Kage head for Ganondorf's Castle. I can no longer offer assistance, since, from here on out, it is your destiny to finish. I am sorry I can't help you two any more. I can only hope that after this is all over, we can travel together again." Sheik said, sadly.

"Sheik, you did more than enough to help us since we began our adult lives. You offered advice when we needed it, moral support, and even some degree of irritation. There's no need to beat yourself over the head with this. We'll get the princess back, you have our word!" Kage said, as he put a hand on the mournful Sheikah's shoulder.

"Thank you, Kage. And you too, Link. I wish you both the best of luck and hopefully we will meet again soon." Sheik said, before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Goodbye, Sheik." Link said, as he pulled out his ocarina and played Epona's Song. Kage did the same, and soon they heard the hoof-beats of their faithful steeds.

"This is the final test, Link. Are you sure you are ready?" Navi asked, as Link mounted and sat for a moment in the saddle.

"If we are not ready now, then we never will be. Zelda is counting on us." Link said, as he started riding in the direction he knew Ganondorf's Castle lay in.

"_They have grown up so much since that time they left the Kokiri Forest. They have truly become the Heroes of legend._" Navi thought, as she flew alongside her charge, while Mizuu did the same. At a full gallop, the distance between them and evil king's castle was easily covered. All the while, the hearts of the two heroes beat as one, as their horses hooves pounded a steady rhythm on the parched earth. When they got to the castle, they paused before dismounting. Navi and Mizuu looked curiously on as the two Heroes walked over to the edge of a huge gap and looked down.

"It was right about here that we first encountered Ganondorf. This was the place. Now we are about to face him again." Link said, as he looked out across the gap at the huge black castle that now sat where Hyrule Castletown and Hyrule Castle used to be.

"How are we going to get across? There's no bridge." Kage commented. No sooner had he said that, then a bridge made of light came into being, spanning one half of the divide, and then reaching the other.

"This is the Sages' doing! Let's go!" Navi shouted, urging the two heroes to run across the bridge. Epona neighed and Link turned around. He could tell that the horse wanted to come along, but she was too frightened.

"Don't worry, Epona! Kage and I will be back for you and Ryuuhi later!" Link shouted, before running the rest of the way across the bridge. As they entered the castle, they were assailed with the smell of death and decay.

"This is awful. Look at all the people he has killed and left the bodies to rot!" Kage said, as he and Link took in the grisly scene. The floor was littered with bones, decaying flesh and dried blood. 

"He'll pay for this, mark my words." Link growled, infuriated by the horrible carnage that was shown in the room. Taking care not to step on any of the bodies, Link and Kage crossed the room and went into another chamber. They two had to move quickly, since the room they were now in had Beamos in it!

"Kage, there's a chamber with doors in it! Let's see if we can turn these things off!" Link shouted. Kage nodded in agreement and they both made a mad dash to the chamber of doors. Working together, they both quickly solved the problem and could move on into the next chamber. Once there, the glint of gold caught Kage's attention.

"Ne, Link, get a look at these!" Kage called, motioning for Link to join him.

"What is it, Kage?" Link asked, gaping in astonishment when Kage pulled out two pairs of Golden Gauntlets.

"Looks like our arsenal wasn't complete after all!" Kage said, as he handed a pair to Link and they both put them on. When they reached a chamber with no floor, they stopped. 

"How do we get across?" Kage asked.

"Let's try the Lenses of Truth, maybe with them we can see if we are missing something." Link said, as he put his Lens of truth on and looked around.

"I see! There's an invisible pathway!" Link said, as he took a tentative step onto the walkway. Kage, who had also equipped his Lens of Truth, followed Link onto the path. They followed it for about thirty minutes before they arrived at a barrier.

"This thing's gray, like the Shadow Medallion." Kage said, as he examined the barrier.

"That's because it is the thing that blocks the Sage of Shadow's power from in here! Destroy it and Impa will be able to start using her power!" Navi said as the two heroes assessed the situation, took out their Megaton Hammers and started tearing the thing apart. When they had finished, Impa appeared and teleported them back to the main chamber.

"This way, I know what we are to do, now." Link said, as he ran to a green door and entered the chamber beyond it. As before, Link and Kage destroyed the green barrier and Saria transported them back to the main chamber. This continued until all of the Sages were in their places. With that done, Kage and Link raced up a flight of stairs, knowing instinctively where Ganondorf was. When they got to the top, Zelda looked at them, her eyes filed with fear and hope. Right across from her, was the nightmare himself; Ganondorf.

"So I see you have made it, Heroes. Now the Triforce is complete and the center of power will be mine as well!" Ganondorf sneered, his eyes sparking like burning coals under his thick, blood red eyebrows.

"We'll just see about that." Link said, ready to draw his sword. Before he could do anything, electricity shock out of Ganondorf's hands, forcing both heroes to drop their swords. Link could vaguely hear Navi and Mizuu screaming and realized that Ganondorf was trying to disable them first, so they could not offer any assistance to the two Heroes. Stubbornly, Link picked up his sword and charged at the evil man. 

"Hyaaahh!" Link shouted, furiously, swiping at his enemy with the Master Sword, managing to slash the evil warrior's shoulder. Ganondorf let out a yowl of pain and tried to backhand Link, but was too slow to catch the wily warrior. Then Kage attacked, with the full fury of his kind, disappearing and reappearing in different places at different times. Zelda watched as the two Heroes turn from the quiet, gentle, people they normally were into fierce, vengeful warriors. Ganondorf was beside himself with rage, the two Heroes were winning! Zelda gasped when Link was thrown back, but quickly regained footing before any damage could be done. After a few moments that seemed like eternity, Link and Kage drove their swords into Ganondorf, killing him.

"They did it! They won!" Mizuu cheered.

"It's not over yet! Look!" Navi yelped, as the body of the evil king started to incinerate, the light coming from within so intense that it weakened the castle around them.

"The castle's about to collapse! Let's get out of here!" Kage shouted, when he realized what was going on. With that said, they all started running for the exit, with Zelda in the lead.

"Follow me! I know the way out!" Zelda shouted, over the noise of the castle collapsing around them.

"Right!" Kage and Link shouted, as they followed her as closely as they could. The race to get out of the castle was frantic when they lost sight of one another for a few seconds in the collapsing debris. But Zelda knew what she was doing and she led them to where they had entered the castle. No sooner did they get across the bridge when the entire castle crumbled into the ground, sinking into a molten puddle. 

"The Sages! Did they get out?" Kage asked, suddenly realizing that they had left the Sages behind.

"They got out before the castle started collapsing. They are now waiting for the final outcome in the Chamber of Sages." Zelda said, easing Kage's concern for them a little bit. Then another rumbling came from the ground beneath them.

"Now what?!" Navi asked, then watched in horror as a huge monster climbed out of the remains of Ganondorf's castle.

"Ganon………………" Zelda murmured, her eyes wide with fear. Before they could react, Zelda, Navi and Mizuu got blown back and Link and Kage's swords got blown out of their hands. 

"Young Fools! I will not let you win so easily!" Ganon bellowed, as he started attacking Link and Kage. Link let out an outcry of pain when Ganon's claws slashed his chest, blood soaking the material of his tunic.

"Link!" Kage shouted, then went after Ganon with his Megaton Hammer. 

"Link! Get up! He'll kill you if you don't get up!" Zelda cried, desperately. Link was in a world of hurt. His vision blurred as he thought back on his earlier adventures; was this the way he was going to die? Was it going to end like this? Then he remembered his friends; Kage, the ever complaining Hero of Memories; Mizuu, Kage's sassy sprite; Navi, his own sprite guardian; Malon, the wild beauty of Lon Lon; Sheik, the ever mysterious, ever kind, warrior Sheikah; and Zelda herself. He had so much to live for, so much to fight for, that he just had to keep fighting. For them, if nothing else.

"_Please, Triforce of Courage, help me fight and defeat Ganon, once and for all!_" Link thought, as he slowly got back up and fished in his pack for a weapon. Then suddenly, something landed next to him with a metallic 'clang' and, when he looked down, he saw an ornate broadsword!

"Use it, Link! I got you and Kage both a Biggoran Sword! Use them well, until you can retrieve the Master Sword and Kage can retrieve the Sword of Reflections!" Sheik shouted, from behind. Link turned his weary eyes to Sheik, nodded, a then gather what strength he had left for a charge into battle. Kage was already using his new blade against Ganon, and was scoring some hits. With a fierce cry, Link launched himself at Ganon, burying the Biggoran Sword's blade in the tender flesh of Ganon's belly. Ganon roared in pain and swatted the hero off. Link landed with a hard on the stony ground, sliding a little ways before stopping. Kage snarled with rage and drove his Biggoran Sword into Ganon's back, getting whacked out of the way by the furious creature's tail and landing on the far side of the battlefield. Sheik, who was trying his best not to become involved, soon found that to be impossible and grabbed the two magical blades, leaping over to Link and giving him the Master Sword. Then he somersaulted over Ganon and gave Kage his blade. 

"Fool! How dare you interfere!" Ganon roared, as he swatted Sheik off of the battlefield, doing the same thing to him that had been done to Link; leaving bloody slash marks on Sheik's chest. Through the haze that the pain brought on, Link struggled to stand and fight, on the other side of the field, Kage was also stubbornly getting to his feet. With cries that chilled the air around them, Link and Kage summoned enough strength to charge one last time. When Ganon realized what was going on, it was too late. He roared in agony as the two sacred blades cut through him, destroying the very darkness that kept him alive. Then, in the chain reaction that followed a split second later, Ganon exploded, sending the two Heroes flying. Zelda watched in speechless horror as the two Heroes fell to the ground, badly wounded.

"Link! Kage!" Zelda screamed, as she rushed over to them. Link looked up when the princess of Hyrule came into his field of vision. 

"P-princess? Did we win this time? Did we truly win?" Link asked, weakly.

"Yes. You won. You saved Hyrule. Ganon is gone, you and Kage did well." Zelda said, as tears started sliding down her cheeks.

"Good. I'm glad. But…………….." Link trailed off, as a shudder of pain went through him.

"But what?" Zelda asked, anxiously.

"I never realized that victory could be so painful." Link murmured, as Zelda took his hand in hers.

"Neither did I, Link." Kage agreed, softly. Zelda was at a loss for what to do and could only sit there and cry as Link and Kage suffered from their wounds. Then she felt a hand caress her cheek and wipe away her tears. She looked down to see Link's arm up and his hand on her face, the expression of his face a cross between peaceful and loving.

"Don't cry, Princess. I don't want to see you cry." Link said, gently. Zelda was again at a loss for what to do. The she felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned around to see Sheik and the Sages standing there.

"Do not worry, Princess, we will take care of their wounds." Rauru said, as he watched Darunia gently pick the two Heroes up, ever mindful of the pain they were in.

"Zelda, I promise I will do my best to save them, since they have already saved me twice. I have a debt to repay." Ruto said, as rays of golden sunlight bathed the land of Hyrule in their healing light, breaking the final spell of evil that had been placed there. 

"Zelda!" an older man's voice called. Zelda whirled around and saw her father emerging from the shadows and into the sunlight.

"Father!" Zelda cried, as she ran to him and hugged him.

"My poor little girl!" King Harkinian murmured, as he held his sobbing daughter in his arms. No one noticed when Hyrule Castletown and its inhabitants reappeared or that the Sages had gone inside.

"Father, I have two young men I want you to meet. They are the ones who freed Hyrule." Zelda said, as Sheik limped off, heading for the castle infirmary where he could get his own wounds tended to. As the sun rose, the land of Hyrule regained its beauty. Everywhere that a sunbeam touched, the land was restored. In less than a couple of hours, Hyrule was returned to its former glory. For the first time in seven long years, the people of Hyrule came out of hiding and sang for joy. They were free, at long last.

Link awoke to someone brushing strands of blond hair off of his face.

"Good morning." Zelda said, when Link looked bewilderingly up at her.

"Where am I?" Link asked, grimacing when he tried to sit up.

"You are in Hyrule Castle. You've been asleep for three days." Zelda said, as she gently put her hand on his forehead to check for fever.

"Hyrule Castle? Does that mean that everything is back to normal? Hyrule had been restored?" Link asked. Zelda smiled and nodded.

"You know, you look so much prettier when you smile." Link said, smiling when he saw that he'd gotten Zelda to blush.

"Flirt." Navi said, as she flitted around in front of his face.

"So what if I am?" Link asked, good-naturedly.

"Kage is just as bad." Navi said, with a giggle, as Link and Zelda exchanged looks of confusion. 

"Link." Zelda said, to get his attention.

"Yes, Princess?" Link asked.

"You and Kage have a choice to make. You could either stay here, as you are, or I can send you back in time to your childhood so you can live those seven years that you missed while under that spell. What do you choose?" Zelda asked. At first, Link was overwhelmed with the choices he had, then he shook his head and looked at her.

"Princess, when I was told of my destiny as the Hero of Time, I could hardly believe it. Now, I can't think of myself being anything other than the Hero of Time. If I chose to go back and live those years, I would lose everything I have fought so hard for. I may have missed those years physically, but I don't miss them, emotionally. My place in this world is to remain close to you so I can help protect you, not living my life in a forest. My decision is to stay as I am." Link said, gently, yet firmly. Zelda smiled.

"Kage said almost the exact same thing, but the woman he wants is Malon. I will honor your decision and let you remain here, as you are." Zelda said, as she turned to leave.

"Wait." Link said. Zelda paused in mid-step and looked at him. He was sitting up, even though it hurt to do so, and was holding her hand. Ever so gently, he pulled her back to his bedside and kissed her. Zelda was astonished by the move, but, at the same time, she was relieved. Their feelings were mutual.

Epilogue

In the following months, Link and Kage regained their strength. Kage was always stealing Link's Kokiri style hats and playing wild games of 'keep-away', while a more sedate Sheik just simply rolled his eyes and went back to playing his beloved harp. Malon had become the head groom for the horses in Hyrule Castle's stables, while her father and uncle took care of Lon Lon in her absence. Navi and Mizuu had taken up residence in a special house King Harkinian had had built just for them. 

"Hey, Link." Zelda said, as she and Link were riding one afternoon.

"Yes, Princess?" Link asked.

"I was wondering, do you think we'll ever have adventures of our own?" Zelda asked.

"Adventures? You mean like mine and Kage's near death experiences?" Link asked, in mock shock, getting a laugh from the princess.

"Yes! I want to have some excitement!" Zelda said, laughing when Link got pelted with something wet.

"KAGE! Now you're going to get it!" Link shouted, as he spurred Epona into a full gallop at a quickly fleeing Kage and Ryuuhi.

"Some things never change." Navi said, as she sat on Zelda's shoulder and watched the two Heroes chase each other around.

"I hope those two never change. They are fine just the way they are." Zelda said, with a fond smile, when Link finally caught Kage, dragged him from his horse and through him into the river.

"_May they never lose that spark of determination._" Zelda thought, as a sopping wet Kage started chasing Link, with Link laughing as he and Epona rode away.


End file.
